Home: South Hills of Pittsburgh. Age: Older than I look! Birthplace: Pittsburgh, PA. Organization: National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Title: Vice President, Palliative and Advanced Care. Significant other: My husband, Michael. Alma mater: Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (BS); Washington State University (MS); Lesley University (MA); Boston College (MSN); CSU Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care.
Current project: Expanding serious illness care further upstream than just at end-of-life. Recent recognition: By my ten-year-old son: “You could win ‘Nailed It!’ on Netflix” (a baking show for people who absolutely cannot bake). Also, a work colleague mentioned he admired my “righteous outrage” related to the state of serious illness care in this country. Latest accomplishment: Started running for my health, not just because I was being chased by a wild animal. Latest contribution to others: Invited to be a founding board member of I.D.E.A.L. for Healthcare which will be dedicated to elevating women leaders in healthcare through increased visibility and by supporting upward mobility. Last book read: Re-read the MaddAddam Trilogy, by Margaret Atwood. Recently viewed and recommended: Adaptation of Agatha Christie’s “Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?” on BritBox. Recent unique acquisition: An Alice in Wonderland text with illustrations by Salvador Dali.
Moral compass: Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not. How do you define a perfect friendship? Trust, honesty, reliability and a shared appreciation for Benedict Cumberbatch. What is your greatest joy? My two boys laughing together. What is your greatest fear? Bats; aliens. Or, alien bats. What is your guilty pleasure? ANYTHING with salted caramel. What word or phrase do you use far too often? It is what it is.
What three emojis best describe you? 🐐🌟🥰.
What is at the top of your bucket list? Taking my son to Japan. What ingredient is essential to your perfect vacation? A large body of water, preferably the ocean. What was your favorite college course? Any art history class (I took several). What book have you repeatedly read? The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett. What movie have you repeatedly watched? The Princess Bride. What’s prominently featured on your home or office wall? A large and diverse collection of art prints based on “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, which is my favorite book. What’s the best advice you received in your career? “Eat your frogs first.” Deal with the worst tasks, the things you know will be hard before anything else. If you don’t have any frogs that day, all the better! What is your go-to source of creative inspiration? Right now, it’s my garden, both for art and for food. What personal circumstance has had the greatest influence on your life? My mother’s illness and death from cancer. It planted the seed for my career in serious illness care.
What change are you working on to effect in your profession or field? A new framework for community-based palliative care that would improve patient outcomes and the experience of care by reducing unnecessary or unwanted (and often expensive) emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Additionally, this model (which would deliver interdisciplinary care in the home) will address social determinants of health to improve outcomes for those living in under-resourced areas.
What change would you like to see in the world? Equality for all. What message do you want to send out into the world? Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle. What widely held belief do you reject? You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? It Is What It Is! What actor would you choose to play you in the movie about your life? Christina Ricci. Who would you like to spend an evening with, in heaven? Queen Elizabeth I. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? An artist. After your loved ones, what object would you first save from your burning home? Just them. Literally everything could be replaced. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? With my family, on a beach, eating salted caramel cupcakes. What advice would you give your younger self? This too, shall pass.
Personal mission: Improving serious illness care for patients and their families so they can all have the best quality of life, and to help all of them to live their fullest life through the end of life. Personal motto: Grow though what you go through. Favorite quote: “It’s no use going back to yesterday because I was a different person then” (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland). Desired epitaph: The same as my movie: It is what it is!
