Palliative Care

Helping you manage your cancer journey: Palliative & Supportive Care at Astera Cancer Care By Tina Basenese, RN, MA, APN-C, ACHPN, Director of Palliative Medicine

Tina Basenese, RN, MA, APN-C, ACHPN, is the Director of Palliative Medicine & supportive care at Astera Cancer Care. Driven to palliative care while working in the Intensive Care Unit in the mid-late ’90s, Tina was deeply saddened when she would see people suffering, physically or emotionally, because treating the seriousness of their illness was the priority.

She saw the lack of real individualized care and noticed how healthcare team members were not interested in knowing who these people were or what was of value to them before they ended up in the ICU. There was no discussion about personal wishes, and “family meetings” were only to update families about what the doctors would do next and get consent forms signed. Tina saw so much suffering until blessedly, the palliative care movement turned to offer palliative care to hospitalized patients to relieve suffering, facilitate communication and support the healthcare team manage the hospital’s most seriously ill patients and their loved ones.

The word "palliative" derives from Latin for "to cloak." The more contemporary definition of palliating is "to make it less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause." Therefore, it is best to offer palliative care to lessen the symptoms and suffering of all patients with a severe illness in collaboration with other specialists dedicated to curing or controlling the disease, also known as supportive care. Tina is dedicated to helping make the patient’s experience better and easier. That is what palliative care is all about— making a difficult situation, a little bit better, and is what makes palliative care unique to other medical specialties.

Outside of work, Tina is the mom of two very busy ice hockey players. She spends most of her time ride-sharing and attending hockey games all over New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She also likes to volunteer at her town’s women’s club and local animal shelter. At Astera, Palliative and Supportive Care focus on improving physical and emotional pain and treatment symptoms. In addition, we enhance communication with the care team and help ensure everyone is on the same page so that the care patients receive responses to their experience living with cancer. It can also provide a platform to explore patients' care goals and make critical decisions regarding futurehealth care.

Astera is evolving its palliative care service and developing the opportunity for patients to receive aspects of palliative care integrated into all of their office visits. We also offer direct specialty-level palliative care visits for patients that need more intensive support. 

Should you have any questions about Palliative and Supportive Care at Astera, please call 732-853-1314 or email palliative@asterahealthcare.org