Welcome to the University of South Florida Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program. The fields of hospice and palliative care are rapidly expanding to meet the symptom, support and communication needs of patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families. Given these needs and opportunities for clinical, educational and research leadership, we are excited that you are considering hospice and palliative medicine fellowship training as the next step in your career development.

USF’s program is a one-year ACGME-accredited fellowship established July 2008 and developed in partnership with Chapters Health System Hospice, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, James A. Haley Veterans Hospital and Tampa General Hospital to ensure that fellows receive outstanding palliative medicine and hospice training with diverse patient populations and clinical settings. Since, 34 fellows have graduated from our program. An educational curriculum on symptom management, communication skills training, interprofessional care of patients and families and self-care complements the clinical rotations. In addition, eight Hospice and Palliative Medicine board-certified faculty at USF and multiple interprofessional team members are dedicated educators committed to promoting fellows’ professional and personal growth. Fellows will be eligible to obtain board certification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at the completion of their training.

The mission of the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship, in alignment with the sponsoring institution's mission, is to promote excellence in the training of all levels of learners in our practice institutions so that they can deliver effective, evidence-based, compassionate and value-based care for patients with serious and life-limiting illnesses.

1. To educate our fellows about reducing the burden of life-threatening conditions by supporting the best quality of life throughout the course of illness.
2. To develop proficiency in assessing, managing, and preventing (when possible) the physical, psychological and spiritual suffering faced by patients and their families.
3. To provide an opportunity to obtain in depth training in a sub-specialty area such as ethics consultations, geriatric medicine, interventional pain management, medical psychiatry, pediatrics, medical oncology, radiation oncology, pulmonary, cardiology, and neurology clinics
4. To engage our fellows in the process of multidisciplinary clinical research to promote critical thinking in Hospice and Palliative medicine
5. To foster an environment of compassionate and ethical care to a diverse patient population in the setting of utmost professionalism and integrity.

The program embraces the following ACGME-specified objectives for the selected fellow:

Patient Care: Demonstrate compassionate, appropriate, effective care for treating health problems and promoting well-being in a palliative care setting.

Medical Knowledge: Relate empirical medical knowledge and apply it to patient care.

Practice-based Learning: Analyze practice experience and perform practice-based improvement activities using systematic knowledge.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills: Create and sustain a therapeutic and ethically sound relationship with patients, families and other healthcare professionals.

Professionalism: Demonstrate professionalism that supersedes self-interest through care, compassion, integrity and responsiveness to the needs of patients and society.

Systems-based Practice: Practice cost-effective healthcare and resource allocation that does not compromise quality of care; advocate for quality patient care and assist patients in dealing with system complexities.

Program Director: Jennifer Dulin, MD
Associate Program Director: Nicholas James, MD
Academic Service Administrator: Maria Kapusta, MA

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute

Designated as a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Comprehensive Cancer Center, is a not-for-profit institution. The fellow will participate in the services of the Psychosocial & Palliative Care Program at Moffitt. The Psychosocial & Palliative Care Program is engaged in clinical care, training, and research designed to address the emotional, social, spiritual, and physical needs of people affected by cancer. Clinical services are provided by an interdisciplinary team composed of professionals with expertise in clinical social work, hospital chaplaincy, clinical psychology, consultation-liaison psychiatry, pharmacy and neurology.

LifePath Hospice

One of the largest non-profit independent hospices in the country. With its large census of hospice patients, the fellow will have an opportunity for contact with diverse patients having varied clinical conditions in a wide array of settings. LifePath Hospice has had a long-standing affiliation with the University of South Florida, serving as a teaching site for medical students, residents and fellows.

James A. Haley VA Medical Center

A 327 bed tertiary care teaching hospital, with 180 authorized nursing home care beds in Tampa. The James A. Haley VA Medical Center has an active inpatient palliative care consult service, an active home care program, as well as a large skilled nursing facility. The fellow will participate in all of these services. Our program’s curriculum is competency-based and consists of clinical rotations, continuity experiences and conferences. In addition, fellows are given an opportunity to engage in scholarly activity and teach other learners during the course of the year. As training progresses, each fellow is evaluated across ACGME competency domains.

Tampa General Hospital

TGH is the area’s only level I trauma center and one of just three burn centers in Florida. TGH provides fellow education on their inpatient palliative consultation service. Faculty members cover the service with a 1:1 faculty/fellow ratio. The service sees 2-5 new patients per day with an average daily census of 15-20 patients. Fellows functions as part of an interdisciplinary team. They also manage patients in a dedicated palliative care suite. The fellows benefit from a diverse patient population with a broad range of diagnoses and palliative care needs.