Karen Bullock, third from the left, poses for a group photo at the 33rd Annual International Conference of the Indian Association of Palliative Care. Courtesy photo.
India鈥檚 approach to caring for the seriously ill is person-centered, culturally concordant, and more about collective decision-making than it is in the United States.聽
That was one of Karen Bullock鈥檚 key takeaways from her participation in the , a three-day gathering in February focused on holistic care across hospital, hospice, and home settings.
鈥淲hat I heard repeatedly at the conference was that we are there as expert clinicians and providers to 鈥榮upport鈥� not to 鈥榙irect,鈥欌�� said Bullock, the Louise McMahon Ahearn Endowed Professor at Boston College School of Social Work, who delivered the closing keynote address on role of social workers in serious illness care. 鈥淥nce we have provided as much information as is available for patients and families to consider, we must defer to them to make the final decision about what the care plan will look like and what is acceptable for the patient and the family to have the best quality of life until the end.鈥�
Bullock,聽who has worked to advance palliative and end-of-life care decision-making for the past two decades, said one of the most striking aspects of the conference was its intentional interdisciplinary focus and refusal to marginalize any discipline. Unlike some other conferences, where social workers are often placed under 鈥渙ther鈥� participants despite being meaningful contributors among attendees, IAPCON 2026 fully recognized social workers as research scholars making significant contributions to patient well-being and community relationships that advance the field of palliative care.
Karen Bullock delivers the closing keynote address at IAPCON 2026. Courtesy photo.
This inclusive approach not only highlighted the value of social workers, she said, but also offered a broader lesson in culturally responsive care, showing how interdisciplinary teams can better support patients and families.
鈥淚 learned so much about how we, in the U.S., could be caring for patients and families differently,鈥� said Bullock. 鈥淚 wish we had more culturally inclusive and flexible care models for patients and families to choose from here in the U.S.鈥�
Bullock has already begun integrating these guiding principles into a new virtual training course in palliative care, which she created in collaboration with the Center for Digital Innovation in Learning at 香蕉秀.
The course, anchors a yearlong fellowship program designed to strengthen the palliative care workforce in India, a region with limited access to specialized training.
Developed in partnership with 聽in Hyderabad, India, the course serves professionals across social work, nursing, medicine, theology, and ministry.
鈥淭he knowledge and awareness that I gained is already being used to advance 香蕉秀SSW鈥檚 commitment to walking alongside others鈥攕haring their burdens and hopes鈥攁s we continue to prepare the next generation of social work practitioners for seriously ill individuals and families and to support the communities they live and thrive in,鈥� said Bullock.
