All of us will someday face the challenges and fears associated with living with a serious illness, either for ourselves or a loved one. Palliative care is a new team-based medical specialty that focuses on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness and improving quality of life for patients and families. This interactive session engaged leading experts to introduce palliative care and outline its benefits, and helped us examine the profound cultural obstacles to providing access this holistic approach to serious illness care.