The Surgical Palliative Care Podcast

#028 - Join host Dr. Red Hoffman as she interviews Andy Baxter, the founder of the Cunniff-Dixon Foundation.  The Foundation is named in honor of Andy's wife, Carley, who died of breast cancer in 2005, as well as in honor of her physician, Dr. Peter S. Dixon.  The mission of the Cunniff-Dixon Foundation is to enrich the Doctor-Patient relationship near the end of life by fostering human development in medicine and supporting and funding projects relating to Palliative Care.
 
In 2009, along with the American College of Surgeons, the Foundation produced Surgical Palliative Care: A Resident's Guide.  For many years, this was the only readily available resource available for surgeons who were interested in learning how to integrate palliative medicine into the care of surgical patients.  The Foundation's latest project, Planning Way My, is a free resource created to help guide people through their Advance Care Planning journey.
 
 To learn more about the Cunniff-Dixon Foundation click here.

To read Surgical Palliative Care: A Resident's Guide click here.

To learn more about Planning My Way click here.

To learn more about the recently launched Surgical Palliative Care Society, visit the website at  www.spcsociety.org or twitter @spcsociety.

To learn more about the surgical palliative care community, visit twitter @surgpallcare

To learn more about host Red Hoffman, visit her website www.redhoffmanmd.com or twitter @redmdnd.

#027 - Join host Dr. Red Hoffman as she interviews neurosurgeon and writer Dr. Jody Stern.   Jody discusses his recently released book, Grief Connects Us, which was inspired by his sister Victoria's illness and death from leukemia as well as his brother in law Pat's death from a ruptured aneurysm.   Jody speaks candidly about how these experiences changed him as both a person and as a surgeon.  He reflects upon the importance of emotional agility and the challenges of practicing as a surgeon while maintaining an open heart.  However, he also notes that "if a neurosurgeon can do it, anyone can!" 
 
Jody's essays in the New York Times:
Grief As My Guide:  How My Sister Made Me a Better Doctor
Moral Distress in Neurosurgery
Dying in the Neurosurgical ICU

To purchase Grief Connects Us:  A Neurosurgeon's on Love, Loss and Compassion, go here.

To purchase Emotional Agility by Susan David, click here.

To learn more about the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, click here.

To learn more about the recently launched Surgical Palliative Care Society, visit the website at  www.spcsociety.org or twitter @spcsociety.

To learn more about the surgical palliative care community, visit twitter @surgpallcare

To learn more about host Red Hoffman, visit her website www.redhoffmanmd.com or twitter @redmdnd.

#026 - Join host Dr. Red Hoffman as she once again has the privilege of interviewing Dr. Balfour Mount, the founder of Palliative Medicine.  Bal recently released his 500-page memoir entitled Ten Thousand Crossroads:  The Path as I Remember It and he generously returns to the show to  talk about his book.  He discusses his friendships with both Dame Cicely Saunders and Elizabeth Kubler Ross and shares lessons he learned from both women.  He also reflects upon the many lessons he learned from his patients and  how his own journey with multiple cancers influenced his practice of medicine throughout his career.

Bal is a cultural icon and it is a pure pleasure to sit back and listen to him reflect upon his life and his career.   I cannot recommend his book highly enough; besides stories about Dame Cicely Saunders and Elizabeth Kubler Ross, he also includes memories about meeting Viktor Frankl and the Dalai Lama, as well as a funny phone call with Mother Teresa. 

To purchase Ten Thousand Crossroads:  The Path as I Remember It, go here.

To learn more about the recently launched Surgical Palliative Care Society, visit the website at  www.spcsociety.org or twitter @spcsociety.

To learn more about the surgical palliative care community, visit twitter @surgpallcare

To learn more about host Red Hoffman, visit her website www.redhoffmanmd.com or twitter @redmdnd.

#025 - Join host Dr. Red Hoffman as she interviews Drs. Buddy Marterre and Pringl Miller, whom - along with Red - founded the recently launched Surgical Palliative Care Society (SPCS), the first inter-disciplinary society dedicated to the integration of high quality palliative medicine into the care of surgical patients.  They discuss the origins of the society, review its mission and talk about how Buddy's work as a beekeeper inspired the non-hierarchical approach to the creation of our Council and Committees.

Membership is open to all healthcare professionals involved in the care of surgical patients (including surgeons, physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers, social workers, chaplains and respiratory therapists) as well as to students and trainees.  Please visit the website and consider joining as an inaugural member (inaugural dues are half-price through the end of 2021.)

To learn more about the Surgical Palliative Care Society, visit the website at  www.spcsociety.org or twitter @spcsociety. 

To learn more about the surgical palliative care community, visit us on twitter @surgpallcare

To learn more about host Red Hoffman, visit her website www.redhoffmanmd.com or twitter @redmdnd.

#024 - Join host Dr. Red Hoffman as she interviews Dr. Patricia Murphy.   Pat is a nurse and is recently retired as the Clinical Clinical Ethicist at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey. She is an associate professor in the Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School Department of Surgery and served as a member of the New Jersey Bioethics Commission, the multidisciplinary body that developed the Advance Directive and Brain Death legislation in New Jersey.  She is responsible for teacher generations of medical students, residents and attendings how to care for patients and families during the most difficult times of their lives.   In this episode, Pat shares how her time with Dr. Elizabeth Kubler Ross as well as her time in the Faculty Scholars Program of the Project on Death in American shaped her career in palliative care.  She discusses her decades of work in the Department of Surgery at Rutgers NJ Medical School, where she worked closely with Dr. Anne Mosenthal to study the integration of palliative medicine into the care of trauma patients.   Pat gives tips on how to deliver bad news and how best to code status and goals of care with patients and families.   Lastly, she discusses the importance of communication amongst team members and reminds us to listen to our nurses!

To read more about the work of Pat Murphy and Anne Mosenthal click here.

To hear the story about how Pat influenced the career of Dr. Jessica Zitter watch here.

To learn more about the surgical palliative care community, visit us on twitter @surgpallcare

To learn more about host Red Hoffman, visit her website www.redhoffmanmd.com.

#023 - Join host Dr. Red Hoffman as she interviews pharmacist Dr. Mary Lynn McPherson, Professor and Executive Director of the Advanced Post-Graduate Education in Palliative Care in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science at the University of Maryland,  Program Director of the Online Master of Science and Graduate Certificates in Palliative Care (also at University of Maryland), host of the Palliative Care Chat Podcast and author of the very well-known book  Demystifying Opioid Conversion Calculations: A Guide for Effective Dosing.  Lynn is a well-known speaker and a respected educator and was named as a 2018 Visionary in Hospice and Palliative Medicine by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.   Lynn discusses the role of the pharmacist on the interdisciplinary palliative care team, including the very important role of de-prescribing medications.  She then offers a step-wise approach to the treatment of common symptoms such as nausea, constipation
(spoiler alert- we are using way too much zofran and docusate!), delirium and pain.  Lastly, she answers some of Red's burning questions about tylenol, toradol, transdermal delivery systems and buprenorphine.  Lynn is consistently one of the most most sought-after speakers at the AAHPM Annual Assembly and it is incredible to have the opportunity to learn from her! 

To find a copy of Demystifying Opioid Conversion Calculations click here.

To listen to the Palliative Care Chat Podcast click here.

To learn more about the University of Maryland Online Master of Science and Graduate Certificates in Palliative Care click here.

To learn more about the surgical palliative care community, visit us on twitter @surgpallcare

To learn more about host Red Hoffman, visit her website www.redhoffmanmd.com.

#022 - Join host Dr. Red Hoffman as she interviews Dr. Dan Hinshaw, professor emeritus of surgery and palliative care consultant at University of Michigan.  Dan discusses how his wife's work with HIV positive veterans first led him to contemplate the nature of  suffering and spirituality.   He shares how his surgical training has made him a more effective palliative care doctor and how his palliative care training made him feel like a "complete surgeon."  Dan offers practical skills about how to take an effective spiritual history and how to share "bad news" while maintaining hope. 
As you'll learn from this podcast, Dan is a wonderful storyteller and he seamlessly weaves the stories of many patients he has cared for throughout our conversation.


To learn more about EPEC: Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care click here.

To learn more about FICA Spiritual Assessment Tool used to take a spiritual history click here.


To learn more about the surgical palliative care community, visit us on twitter @surgpallcare

To learn more about host Red Hoffman, visit her website www.redhoffmanmd.com.

#021 - Join host Dr. Red Hoffman as she interviews Dr. Rebecca Aslakson, an anesthesiologist - triple-board certified in anesthesiology, critical care medicine and hospice and palliative medicine - and a well known researcher who has devoted her career to improving the delivery of effective and equitable palliative care, particularly to perioperative and critically ill populations.   Rebecca is an Associate Professor at Stanford University with appointments in both the Department of Primary Care & Population Health in the Palliative Care Section and the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine where she serves as Division Chief of Critical Care Anesthesia.

Rebecca discusses how her early work in HIV paved the way for her career as both a researcher and as a palliative care physician.  She shares the story of David, one of her very first patients, who inspired her interest in palliative medicine.   She talks about the importance of honoring the emotive (rather than the cognitive) experiences of our patients as well as the importance of creating a space for patients and families to discuss their spiritual/religious beliefs, whatever they may be.

For young physicians, Rebecca's career illustrates the importance of mentorship throughout one's career (and proves that you do NOT have to be mentored by people in your own field).  She also reflects upon the importance of knowing the culture of your medical community and being mindful of that culture when trying to conduct research or introducing an intervention.

Beyond being a brilliant researcher, Rebecca is one of the most authentic and heart-centered human beings.  Get ready for both your emotive and cognitive sides to be inspired!

Read more about Rebecca, including links to her publications, here.

Read more about anesthesia and palliative medicine in the ASA Monitor here.   

Read more about the Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial of Perioperative Palliative Care Surrounding Cancer Surgery for Patients and Their Family Members (PERIOP-PC) here.

To learn more about the surgical palliative care community, visit us on twitter @surgpallcare

To learn more about host Red Hoffman, visit her website www.redhoffmanmd.com.

#020 - Join host Dr. Red Hoffman as she interviews Dr. Preeti John, a surgeon triple board-certified in general surgery, surgical critical care and hospice and palliative medicine.  Preeti currently practices at the VA Maryland Healthcare System in Baltimore and is the Facility LSTDI (Life Sustaining Treatment Decisions Initiative) Director, coordinating all aspects of this Veterans Health Administration's quality improvement initiative in the in-patient and out-patient settings and intensive care units.  Preeti is also a healthcare ethics consultant and serves on the national Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) Ethics Committee. She is editor of a widely acclaimed book titled ‘Being a Woman Surgeon – 60 Women Share Their Stories’ and is on the editorial board of the American Medical Women’s Association’s ‘Literary AMWA’ publication.  In this episode we review some of the details of LSTDI and the needs of veterans at the end of life.  We also discuss hospital ethics and how to become a healthcare ethics consultant.  Lastly, we talk about Preeti's first book about women surgeons and her upcoming book about pain management.   

Read more about the VA Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions Initiative here.

Read more about Being A Woman Surgeon:  Sixty Women Share Their Stories here. 

Learn more about the Healthcare Ethics Consultants-Certified Program here.

To learn more about the surgical palliative care community, visit us on twitter @surgpallcare

#019 - Join host Dr. Red Hoffman as she interviews Dr. Janet Bull, chief medical officer of Four Seasons, a Hospice and Palliative Medicine organization in Western North Carolina.  Janet began her career as an obstetrician-gynecologist.   After witnessing the illness and death of a close friend, she left her practice and eventually began volunteering at Four Seasons.  Janet was instrumental in starting the Palliative Care program at Four Seasons as well as the Clinical Research Department.  She is a prolific researcher and has won multiple awards including the Sharon O. Dixon award and the Hastings Center Cuniff-Dixon award.  She also served as the president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.  In this episode, she discusses the similarities between birth and death, how her surgical training influences her work in hospice and palliative care and the importance of play and staying true to oneself.  Tune in to learn more!

Learn more about the Palliative Care Quality Collaborative here.

Learn more about the Palliative Care Immersion Course here.  (Having done this course myself, I highly highly recommend it!)

To learn more about the surgical palliative care community, visit us on twitter @surgpallcare.