Palliative care is the medical sub-specialty that treats the symptoms and stresses of serious illness. Over 50 million Americans have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began and, by definition, those who have been hospitalized were seriously ill. The following audio is from a live, virtual event held in November 2021, and is the first episode of this two-part series. Hosted by AHA Vice President of Clinical Quality Marie Cleary-Fishman, the esteemed group of panelists includes CAPC CEO Brynn Bowman; AHA EVP & COO Michelle Hood; Medical Director of Palliative Services and Associate Professor of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University Dr. Danielle Noreika; and Professor and Chair of the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Mount Sinai Dr. R. Sean Morrison.