Jim Mold
James W Mold, MD, MPH: Dr. Mold is a Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Dr. Mold is the founder and Research Director of the Oklahoma Physicians Resource/Research Network, a very successful primary care practice-based research network. He has pioneered approaches to quality improvement in primary care practices, which have merited national attention, and many other organizations and networks have adopted his innovations. He is the author or co-author of more than 130 peer-reviewed journal articles and was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science in 2008. Most recently, Dr. Mold and his colleagues have developed the conceptual basis for a primary health care extension system through which innovations can be more efficiently disseminated, implemented, and diffused, and gaps between the public health, mental health, and private practice systems can be narrowed.
For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
