Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner Joins FirstHealth Palliative Care Team
| Date Posted: 6/14/2021
PINEHURST, N.C. – FirstHealth’s Palliative Care program recently welcomed advanced practice nurse practitioner Pam Christaldi to the team.
With more than 18 years of experience serving patients in the Sandhills, Christaldi joins a dedicated team of palliative medicine certified physicians, nurses, social workers and patient representatives at FirstHealth’s Palliative Care program. Christaldi earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UNC-Greensboro and a Master of Science in Nursing at UNC-Chapel Hill. Since 2003, she has served patients as an adult nurse practitioner with Pinehurst Medical Clinic.
Christaldi’s arrival to Palliative Care brings her back home in a way. She worked as a nurse at Moore Regional Hospital in 1992 and at FirstHealth Hospice from 1997-2001.
“I do feel like I have come full circle,” she said of her return to FirstHealth.
Palliative Care helps patients with a chronic or serious illness including cancer, heart disease, lung disease, stroke, kidney disease, Alzheimer's disease and more. Palliative Care can help relieve suffering and improve quality of life for patients and their family members.
“I think what draws most of us to Palliative Care services is more of a ‘calling,’” Christaldi said. “I can have an impact in providing the support to patients and their families and help with symptom management.”
Palliative Care is offered along with all other appropriate medical treatments. The focus is on the needs of the patient whether those needs concern pain and symptom control, counseling, spiritual needs or coordinating links to other community services.
FirstHealth palliative care services are offered in the hospital, 305 Page Road in Pinehurst, 921 S. Long Drive in Rockingham and in select skilled nursing or assisted living facilities.
Patients or family members may request a referral to FirstHealth Palliative Care by calling (910) 715-6000. For more information on FirstHealth Hospice and Palliative Care, visit www.firsthealth.org/hospice
