A $227,000 grant from the Regence Foundation of Blue Cross Blue Shield, will help expand St. Charles' Palliative care. The program that tries to enhance the quality of life for seriously ill patients will get a huge boost from these funds. Dr. Laura Mavity is the Director of Palliative care at St. Charles. “This grant puts major funding into our program. It’s a huge chunk of our budget. It helps us with direct patient care. It helps pay for staffing so we can take care of patients and families. The funds will help pay for an additional social worker for the department, that will help consult with families about how to improve their quality of life, for seriously ill patients.