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MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, which was established back in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter.

It's a chance to raise awareness and open conversations about end-of-life care.

Now UW Health in Madison is enhancing their efforts with a new program for these important services.

"The right pathway is respecting the patients and family's wishes to move more toward a comfort kind of care," said UW Health Chief Quality Officer Dr. Jeff Pothof.

That care can sometimes have to be decided on a moment's notice.

"Sometimes patients don't have days, they're looking at hours or short days," Dr. Pothof said. "And the quicker we get them enrolled into a hospice program, the more time we have to talk about their goals of care."

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