Palliative care offers interprofessional medical care aimed at improving quality of life for persons living with serious illness, sometimes up to and through the end-of-life. Palliative care can improve patient experience across a diverse range of clinical settings through addressing adverse symptoms and psychosocial needs during complex illness. Since emerging as a specialty in 2006, palliative medicine has remained underutilized, as it is often associated with end-of-life care. However, within the literature, the benefits of palliative care for patients, lay caregivers, and their families are not restricted to end-of-life cases. Palliative care may be especially helpful to patients in rural and underserved populations, who experience increased barriers to accessing both primary and specialty care services. The purpose of this research is to assess the scope, accessibility, and use of palliative care services in rural communities in Northern California. This research would provide a foundation for understanding the current landscape of palliative care options for these communities, the models that have been most effective for care delivery, and the opportunities for expanding these services. Previous research has examined the prevalence of palliative care programs in California offering services through hospitals or the outpatient setting. More recently, a report published by the California HealthCare Foundation, identified challenges faced by rural palliative care providers, but this report focused on a subset of programs that had an existing relationship with one of the five health plans included in the study. A cumulative report examining the state of palliative care options in a specific geographic area, rural Northern California, has not been previously undertaken. Conducting a broader analysis will allow us to identify additional areas needing access to palliative care, identify areas of improvement to expand palliative care availability, and promote partnerships with existing programs. This research can then further inform various healthcare practitioners in rural Northern California on the available palliative care options they can refer patients to.