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In the Swiss canton of Vaud, a feasibility and viability study of a palliative care day center was conducted. This intermediate structure encourages patients’ return home as well as home care for patients with progressive illnesses. The distinctive feature of this action-research study was that it was conducted in a perspective of community health, to verify that the project corresponded to the needs of a specific population and guaranteed equitable access to the facility. Key aspects were identified by interviewed health professionals: partnership, decompartmentalization, interdisciplinary and interinstitutional collaboration.