PINEHURST — Adara Maness, MPAS, is a new inpatient palliative care provider at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst.
As a palliative care provider, Maness helps patients with a serious, life-impacting condition make a plan for the best possible quality of life.
“I meet with patients during an acute issue requiring a hospital stay and help them understand what’s happening,” said Maness, a board certified physician assistant. “I talk with them about their conditions and what led to their hospitalization. I listen to understand what’s important to them and what a ‘good day’ looks like. We discuss treatment options that are in line with their personal goals and values.”
Palliative care, also called supportive care, is specialized medical care delivered by a team of professionals focusing on the physical and emotional well-being of people with serious or chronic illnesses.
Providers treat condition-related symptoms such as pain, nausea and fatigue and educate patients so they can make informed health care decisions. Palliative care social workers assist with emotional support and link patients and families to helpful resources.
Palliative care can be delivered in the hospital or in an outpatient setting, including a clinic or patients’ homes. Patients can receive palliative care while also undergoing aggressive treatments to cure or slow the progression of their conditions. It’s appropriate for people of any age and at any stage of illness.
Prior to joining FirstHealth Palliative Care, Maness was a physician assistant in FirstHealth’s gynecologic oncology practice and Pinehurst Medical Clinic’s gastroenterology department. She is a graduate of High Point University and Wingate University.
FirstHealth Palliative Care, a part of FirstHealth of the Carolinas, is the only not-for-profit palliative care provider in the Sandhills.
