Panelists
Friday, November 12, 2021
11:00am - 12:30 pm PST
The INELDA instructor team members come from very different backgrounds and expand the diversity of experiences, perspectives, and styles within our work as end of life doulas. They will share the work and experiences that led them to their roles as practicing doulas, expand on the value and benefits from offering and receiving this kind of service, and share insights on the growth of the doula movement and its future.
Meet the Panelists:
Julia Andino is a psychotherapist focusing on change, loss and grief within the context of chronic medical conditions and death and dying.Her focus is providing individuals and families, a way of reconnecting through life affirming interventions. She teaches at CUNY-Center for Worker Education in New York City; and as a Death Doula, she is a member of INELDA.
Garrett Drew Ellis is the owner of Beyond Morning, a death-support and storytelling organization that exists to help individuals remember, record, share, and celebrate their life’s story before the moment of death arrives. Then, when death is imminent, we offer compassionate care and support through the death doula model. The author of “Write Until You Feel Better” and the forthcoming “Writing in Memoriam”, he works as a full time death doula in Central Pennsylvania with his wife and 4 children.
Kris Kington-Barker is an End-of-Life Doula, trained by INELDA in 2015, a Board member and instructor for INELDA since 2017. She previously served in administrative roles for nonprofit and for profit hospitals and healthcare clinics and most recently was executive director of a hospice for 10 years until 2020. She volunteers as an EOL doula with her local hospice and hospital, has private clients and facilitates grief support groups. Since 2012 Kris has hosted a bi-weekly radio show for an NPR affiliate radio station in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Along with being an ICU nurse for over twenty years, I am trained and certified by INELDA (the International End of Life Doula Association), and have been a practicing end of life coach/doula for over five years. I own my own practice in Richmond, Virginia and come into this work truly believing that dying isn’t a medical experience, but rather a sacred and special time in our lives that should be treated with such care.
Claudette has worked with the dying since the beginning of the AIDS pandemic in the 1980s. She believes that it is a sacred event both when a life enters this world and when it leaves this world. Claudette is trained as an End of Life Doula through the International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA) and the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine. She uses her doctoral degree in adult learning to help care partners and other doulas provide caring support during the dying process.
Wilka is a transpersonal psychologist, ordained minister, death doula, grief counselor, dream worker, educator, facilitator, writer, Taoist Arts instructor, musician, photographer, performance artist, silversmith, baker, mythmaker. She is president of Fundación Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (EKR) México Centro, deputy director of EKR Foundation Global, end-of-life doula instructor and BIPOC Council co-chair of the International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA). Her interests include neurobiology of trauma, loss, grief, and relationships, conscious living & dying, confectionery arts, and wine culture.
Friday, November 12, 2021
1:00 - 2:00 pm PST
The Elisabeth Kübler-Ross perspective on loss, grief and end of life support focusing on what unites us: that loss, death and grief unify us and remind us of our sameness; the fact that we are all equal as people who go through a loss, who grieve, and who are going to die, with the intention to bring us back to a collective experience, through and beyond our differences, connecting through our human impulse for compassion and unconditional love.
Meet the Panelists:
Dr. Christian Ntizimira is the Executive Director of ACREOL and Faculty member of the Palliative Care Centre for Excellence in Research and Education (PalC), Singapore, and former City Manager, Kigali at the City Cancer Challenge Foundation. He is a Fulbright and Harvard Alumni from the Medical School, department of Global Health and Social Medicine. He is a physician trained in Rwanda at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS), University of Rwanda. He is the Executive Secretary a.i of Rwanda Palliative Care & Hospice Organisation (RPCHO), a non-profit organization that advocates for access to pain control and palliative care in primary care. Dr. Ntizimira has been a critical part of the post-conflict rebuilding of Rwanda’s health system following the 1994 genocide against Tutsi as Director of Kibagabaga District Hospital in Kigali and contributed to the implementation of the national policy of palliative care at the community level in Gasabo district become a model of care in Rwanda. A Palliative Care Expert and Educator, Dr. Ntizimira pioneered the integration of end of life care into health services rendered to Rwandan patients with chronic illnesses in acute care and community settings. Through his program, more than 1500 health care providers and community health workers have learned the risk factors of cancer & the concept of palliative care leading to a five-fold increase in the prescription of morphine, an essential pain medication. He Dr. Ntizimira was a Researcher collaborator at Harvard Global Equity Initiative – Lancet Commission on Global Access to Pain Control and Palliative Care (GAPPCP).
Joan Marston is based in South Africa and comes from a background in Nursing and Social Science. She is the Global Ambassador of the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) having served as its Chief Executive. She was one of the founding members of the original ICPCN Steering Committee in 2005. More recently, she has also been part of the group that developed the new Guidelines for Persisting Pain in Children, as well as Guidelines for Disclosure in Children for the World Health Organization.
I have always dreamed of being a nurse, to relieve and support suffering people. I have come a long way, I have worked for a long time in intensive care services and currently I am specialized in Palliative Care (MS), I work as a referral nurse in a Mobile/consultant Palliative care team in a University Hospital. This specialization taught me to accompany, listen, and help people and their family members live as longa s possible with the best possible quality of life. My favorite quote is from Gibran Khalil Gibran:
“I slept and I dreamed that life is all Joy
I woke up and I saw that life is all service
I served and I saw that the service is Joy.”
Wilka is a transpersonal psychologist, ordained minister, death doula, grief counselor, dream worker, educator, facilitator, writer, Taoist Arts instructor, musician, photographer, performance artist, silversmith, baker, mythmaker. She is president of Fundación Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (EKR) México Centro, deputy director of EKR Foundation Global, end-of-life doula instructor and BIPOC Council co-chair of the International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA). Her interests include neurobiology of trauma, loss, grief, and relationships, conscious living & dying, confectionery arts, and wine culture.
Keshav Sharma, Psycho Oncologist at the Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences at Fortis Healthcare, India. She has completed her Masters in Clinical Psychology and MPhil in Psycho oncology. She has got special training in Tobacco cessation, grief and bereavement and palliative care. She is also Certified Professional and clinical supervisor from Australian Counselling Association.
She is working extensively in the field of preventive oncology, grief and bereavement, Psychooncology.
Friday, November 12, 2021
2:30 - 4:00 pm PST
This panel discussion from the team at Compassion & Choices will provide an introduction of what medical aid in dying is and how it works followed by stories from three individuals who will tell how the medical aid-in-dying law in their state allowed their loved one to die peacefully.
Meet the Panelists:
When the burden of his neurodegenerative illness became unbearable, Joanne’s husband, Alan, chose to end his life using the provisions of Colorado’s End-of-Life Options Act. Joanne’s memoir about their journey, “Walking Him Home: Helping My Husband Die with Dignity,” will be published by She Writes Press in August 2022.
Julie Stroud is a grief educator, end-of-life care activist, patient-centered care advocate, and death awareness enthusiast based in Berkeley, California. She will earn her Master of Social Work from Columbia University in Spring 2022, specializing in Advanced Clinical Practice. Julie is a passionate supporter of California’s End of Life Option Act.
Tom’s late wife, Christine, choose to participate in California’s End-Of-Life Option Act after a lengthy battle with cancer. Christine had difficulty in accessing EOL options and with Compassion & Choices found help in speaking out and reaching out to others in similar situations. Tom continues to advocate in her memory.
Mitsuo Tomita, M.D. is a retired family practice physician and volunteer for Compassion and Choices. He received his M.D. degree from UCSF, completed his family medicine residency in Fresno, and had a 33-year career at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego where he was also on the voluntary teaching faculty of the UCSD School of Medicine as an Assistant Clinical Professor.
Saturday, November 13, 2021
11:00 am - 12:30 pm PST
Panel in Spanish.
Lo que podemos aprender sobre la atención al final de la vida de nuestros colegas en América Latina: necesidades, prioridades, enfoques, avances y aliados. ¿Cómo podemos empezar a colaborar más allá de las fronteras hacia una misión más colectiva para una atención de calidad al final de la vida accesible para todos?
End-of-Life Care: Latin American Perspectives
What we can learn about end-of-life care from our colleagues in Latin America: needs, priorities, approaches, advancements, and allies. How can we begin to collaborate beyond borders toward a more collective mission for quality end-of-life care accessible to all.
Meet the Panelists:
Psicóloga formada en Cuidados Paliativos y Gerontología, Coordinadora del Capítulo Argentina/ Uruguay de la Fundación EKR, Docente en universidades e instituciones de salud sobre temas relativos a cuidados paliativos, prevención del burnout y humanización de la medicina.
Psychologist trained in Palliative Care and Gerontology, Coordinator of the Argentina / Uruguay Chapter of the EKR Foundation, Teacher at universities and health institutions on topics related to palliative care, burnout prevention and humanization of medicine.
Doctor, health humanization manager, health manager, thanatologist, expert in grief by stages of life.
Wilka is a transpersonal psychologist, ordained minister, death doula, grief counselor, dream worker, educator, facilitator, writer, Taoist Arts instructor, musician, photographer, performance artist, silversmith, baker, mythmaker. She is president of Fundación Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (EKR) México Centro, deputy director of EKR Foundation Global, end-of-life doula instructor and BIPOC Council co-chair of the International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA). Her interests include neurobiology of trauma, loss, grief, and relationships, conscious living & dying, confectionery arts, and wine culture.
Luisa es psicoterapeuta transpersonal, doctora en tanatología, doula de muerte, docente, facilitadora de talleres de personas en duelo, facilitadora del Death Café en español, acompañante en duelo y muerte. Sus intereses son: escribir, leer, caminar, viajar, conocer otras culturas.
Luisa is a transpersonal therapist and has a doctorate degree in thanatology. She is a certified death doula, a long-time teacher, and a facilitator in workshops with grieving people. She founded Spanish-language Death Café in Mexico and accompanies people prior to and post-death. Her interests are: writing, reading, walking, traveling, and getting to know other cultures.
Médico gerontólogo, Médico Hospice, tanatólogo, vicepresidente de la Fundación EKR México Centro, con una trayectoria de 43 años atendiendo personas mayores y enfermos terminales
Gerontologist, Hospice Doctor, thanatologist, vice president of the EKR México Centro Foundation, with a 43-year history caring for the elderly and terminally ill
Saturday, November 13th, 2021
12:00 - 1:30 pm PST
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”- Mahatma Gandhi.
There is a growing body of research that indicates volunteering provides mental, physical, and social benefits to all involved. Sometimes, those whose lives are being transformed by grief and trauma choose to channel their pain and struggle into a process of helping others who walk the same journey. Meet 9 widowed panelists who did just this- they chose to reach a hand back to help other widowed people after the death of their spouse or life partner. Learn how volunteering their time, energy, resources, knowledge, and life experience to a non-profit organization that supports the global widowed community has given the panelists a remarkable source of hope, comfort and friendship.
Meet the Panelists:
Widowed suddenly 10 years ago. Wellness coach, RGL for soaring spirits building community of widowed people since 2013.
My passion is people, connections, community and fun. All these come together for me in my work and in life. Becoming a widow definitely threw me off balance for a while but I believe there is room for joy in our lives no matter what.
Teresa is a certified professional life coach who helps widowed people reconstruct a life they love. As a speaker, author, and widow, Teresa’s mission is to bring a candle into the darkness of life after loss.
Stacey Brown is a Regional Group Leader with Soaring Spirits International in New Brunswick, Canada. She connected with the organization as a young widow and has been paying forward the support she received as a facilitator, volunteer and regional group leader for 8 years.
Susan Hannifin-MacNab, MSW serves as the Soaring Spirits® Program and Education Manager, with a focus on growing and supporting the Regional Social Group Program and assisting with Camp Widow® and Widowed Village® planning and development. She brings with her experience as the Soaring Spirits San Diego Regional Group co-leader, long-time Camp Widow® camper and presenter, as well as decades as a social worker, educator and community organizer. Susan is the Founder of A2Z Healing Toolbox® and author of the five-time award winning “A to Z Healing Toolbox: A Practical Guide for Navigating Grief and Trauma with Intention”. Her passion is creating and fostering community connections.
Carolyn Jenkins, MS, is a Special Education Teacher, Consultant, and Trainer who holds a Masters Degree in Developmental Disabilities. After the sudden death of her husband in 2016, she found Soaring Spirits International, a non-profit organization that provides programming, support and hope to the global widowed community, and has been a Regional Group Leader for 3 years. She keeps busy outside of school raising 2 teenagers along with a menagerie of animals. In her free time, Carolyn enjoys baking all things sourdough.
Lois was widowed in 2010 at the age of 35 when her husband passed away from a brain tumour, their daughter was 18 months old at the time. Lois began volunteering with Soaring Spirits International during the pandemic by co leading her local Halton/Peel Ontario Regional Social Group on Zoom.
Hi. I have been a volunteer with Soaring spirits for about 2 years. My wife passed away, May 2017, from appendix cancer. It was through an open grief group that I found Camp Widow and Soaring Spirits.
I have found being a regional leader and helping with the mens group helpful with my own widowed journey. I look forward to assisting others on this difficult path we are on.
Bobby Moss is a Program Manager for a Fortune 100 IT company where he leads transformational programs for professional services. He excels in leading cross-functional/multi-cultural teams, leadership development and strategy, mentoring, business development and relationship building. He lost his husband, Terry Ford, in a motorcycle accident while traveling in Thailand in 2017 just a few months after they were legally married on their 30th anniversary. He co-founded the first community-based group for Soaring Spirits serving widowed LGBTQ+ people.
Widowed in 2013, Paul first attended Camp Widow in 2014, and began regularly attending Soaring Spirits Regional Group events in late 2015. Near the end of 2016 he was asked to become a group leader. Paul works as a Staff Development Scientist in the Clinical Diagnostics industry, and intends on pursuing a degree and license in counseling as his “retirement” job.
Saturday, November 13, 2021
1:00 - 2:30 pm
Discussion and sharing regarding experiences and challenges in making green burial possible and accessible in a variety of continents, with the goal of beginning an incentive that supports us globally as we move forward with the movement of Green Burial.
Meet the Panelists:
Ed Bixby is the current President of the Green Burial Council c(6) organization and was previously president of both the Green Burial Council c(3) and the c(6) from 2014-2019. He is the owner and operator of eight natural cemeteries on both the west coast, east coast as well as one each in Wisconsin and Minnesota. He is also the owner of Destination Destiny/Memorial Reefs in Ocean City, New Jersey. Ed’s extensive background in land use and development includes being a licensed New Jersey real estate broker and the owner of Fox and Fox Builders, LLC. Ed’s experience in the development industry has provided keen insight into better land-use practices and drives his passion for the natural burial movement and the benefits it provides to the present and future generations. Ed has led presentations on natural burial for numerous organizations and has provided educational training for both funeral directors and cemeterians alike. Ed resides in southern New Jersey with his wife Helena and two daughters Ava and Mina.
Dawn Carson has a successful background as a business owner, currently she is a Death Doula, Community Deathcaring Educator, Funeral Coordinator, Chair – Green Burial Nova Scotia, Meditation Instructor and Certified Yoga Instructor. Combining a mix of pragmatic planning and compassionate communication, she provides education and tools to help make your end of life choices. Serving as host of Death Café & Green Burial Café and as consultant for Death Matters, Dawn is dedicated to creating a culture of openness around living and dying well. Making a plan will help you feel confident in communicating your vision for a good death, no matter where you are in the process right now. Ask yourself “What must I do to be at peace with myself so that I may live presently and die peacefully?”
We are sisters from Melbourne, Australia, who share a passion for green burial and the ethos of leaving the Earth naturally and gently. We stock a range of burial shrouds that are eco-friendly, hand-made, vegan and customisable. We produce our products locally with many of our associates being mothers like ourselves. Through our business, we seek to promote community education about the environmental, social and financial benefits of beautiful green burials.
Wilka is a transpersonal psychologist, ordained minister, death doula, grief counselor, dream worker, educator, facilitator, writer, Taoist Arts instructor, musician, photographer, performance artist, silversmith, baker, mythmaker. She is president of Fundación Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (EKR) México Centro, deputy director of EKR Foundation Global, end-of-life doula instructor and BIPOC Council co-chair of the International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA). Her interests include neurobiology of trauma, loss, grief, and relationships, conscious living & dying, confectionery arts, and wine culture.
Saturday, November 13
2:30 - 4:30 pm
The audience will view a 12-minute film of a Latino family demonstrating the challenges they experienced from negative cultural responses after the suicide death of their son. Suicide is a taboo subject among the Latino community and without being aware, cultural beliefs and norms may have negative consequences creating barriers for Latino survivors to seek help and begin the healing process. The panel of experts will provide education on the differences between normal and traumatic grief and the value of having the conversation about suicide. The panel will engage the audience regarding their reactions, feelings, and connection to the film. As part of a research study, we want to hear from the Latino community the barriers, lack of support or resources in their own community creating barriers in the healing process. Our objective is to bring hope and healing to Latino communities to reduce social isolation and increase support. Join us to help stop the shame and stigma but most importantly, to bring healing for Latino survivors of suicide loss.
Meet the Panelists:
Nina Enriquez holds a doctorate degree in social work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She is a Texas state board approved clinical supervisor and a certified grief counseling therapist. She has extensive experience working with Latino families on end of life, hospice, palliative care, grief, loss, bereavement and survivors of suicide death. She provides workshops, training and serves as a consultant developing evidenced-based bereavement programs for hospice agencies.
I have been a volunteer for the American foundation for suicide prevention for 9 years. After experiencing a family loss to suicide in 2012, I decided to attend Liberty University, and pursue my education in Psychology.
This allowed so many un-answered questions to be answered through education, statistics, and theology. I now strive to help others in my community by sharing my story, and educating them about suicide prevention.
I also enjoy connecting and assisting people who have lost a family member, a loved one, or a friend to suicide and simply showing them that
they are not alone.
Dr. Torres-Hostos is Founding Dean and Professor of the School of Social Work at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. His research focuses on health inequities and social determinants of health with a focus on Hispanic and African American communities, and on community engagement initiatives aimed at building community resilience. Dr. Torres-Hostos holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from Fordham University in New York City and has over 30 years of clinical, teaching, research, and administrative experience.
Michelle Ramirez empowers organizations to better support the grieving families they serve. Her experience includes designing and implementing donor family bereavement programs, faith-based community grief programs, facilitating grief workshops, suicide loss survivor events and advanced planning issues. Michelle serves as Chair of the AFSP South Texas Chapter and as an ADEC board member. As a griever of traumatic loss herself, along with the lived experience of a suicide attempt, she compassionately empathizes with the grievers she supports as well as those who struggle with suicide.
Saturday, November 13, 2021
4:30 - 5:30 pm PST
Watch an extended trailer of the new award-winning documentary “Living With Ghosts” and meet the cast and crew who will discuss the film’s mission and field questions from the audience.
Meet the Panelists
Stephen Berkley started writing LIVING WITH GHOSTS after the loss of his father in 2011, when his mother could not find relief with the help of grief counselors and clergy. It wasn’t until she started having conversations with what she believed to be her husband’s ghost that her functioning returned to normal. So why are health care workers so quick to discourage after-death communication? This is the theme of Stephen’s story.
Associate Director at the Center for Grief and Traumatic Loss (Lincolnshire, IL)
Owner of Inquire Within Counseling and Development Center
Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice
President of the International Association for Near-Death Studies, Editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies, Professor Emerita of Counseling at the University of North Texas
Sunday, November 14, 2021
11:30 am - 1:00 pm PST
Psychologists and social scientists have confirmed that over 90% of human violence, cruelty, and aberrated behavior can be attributed to unaddressed or unassimilated grief, trauma, and loss. The correlation between unhealed grief and the ability to move forward in our lives, for individuals as well as communities, is powerful and often ignored. Our ability to address, release, and heal our losses and wounds is directly related to creating a world wherever everyone thrives. We are currently facing an unprecedented global grieving crisis due to the unfortunate circumstances that have forced millions of people around the world to remain in their homes without the opportunity to be present at the bedside of their loved ones stricken with Covid. New studies have shown that music, sound, and immersive arts strategies, when delivered thoughtfully, can be highly effective to address and accelerate the grief alleviation process. It’s essential that we all learn together how to heal our wounds from loss and trauma, so that we can move forward in our lives.
Meet the Panelists
Gary Malkin is a multiple Emmy award-winning composer, public speaker, educator, and music and health innovator who champions the power of music to promote health, wellness, and compassion. He is redefining the role of music in life’s challenging transitions at the individual and institutional levels. Gary has focused on developing music and related resources that serve four goals: easing the dying process, enhancing bonding with newborns, alleviating stress for healthcare providers, and deepening heart-centered mindfulness. He and his creative partners, Michael and Doris Stillwater, coproduced the globally acclaimed listening resource, Graceful Passages, considered by world experts in the field to be among the finest works of its kind. This listening resource has enabled nearly a million people to reframe life-threatening illness and the end-of-life process from denial, avoidance, and fear to acceptance, compassion, and presence. Awarded the 2005 Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Award for their contribution to the field, they went on to develop the Care for the Journey resources and programs, widely used by hospitals to alleviate care providers’ stress. His event and production company, Wisdom of the World Wellness is focused on music infused solutions to support people in creating more meaningful and fulfilling lives. www.WIsdomoftheWorld.com
Kate Munger conceived and founded the first Threshold Choir in March 2000, after leading community singing around the Bay Area for 25 years. Today more than 190 Threshold Choirs across the nation and overseas inspire comfort and connection at bedsides, while nourishing the singers themselves. She is a popular speaker among palliative care professionals and at conferences, and since her retirement in 2015 has led community singing in prisons, jails, on 9 trips to Bali, 6 trips to Thailand, with and for elephants and most recently at the Mosque in Christchurch NZ in March 2020 in commemoration of the bombing in 2019.
A composer of hauntingly beautiful melodies and harmonies, Kate compiled the moving and widely sourced choir repertoire, and produced three Threshold Choir CDs, Listening at the Threshold (2003), and Tenderly Rain (2006) and Walking Each Other Home (2012). Knowing that our basic human needs are safety, dignity and belonging, Kate brings the precious and evanescent joy of song and fellowship to the expression of grief, for families, loved ones and for our culture.
Mary Rockwood Lane RN Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at the University of Florida College of Nursing teaching Creativity and Spirituality in Health. Founding Faculty of the Watson caring science Institute traveling worldwide teaching nurses to integrate art in health care. Co-founder of Arts In Medicine created the first Artist in residence program at UF Health. Author of many books including Healing with the Arts.
She created a Free Online course with over 76,000 learners enrolled.
www.healingwiththearts.com
Francis Weller is a psychotherapist, writer, and soul activist. Author of The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief; The Threshold Between Loss and Revelation, (with Rashani Réa) and In the Absence of the Ordinary: Essays in a Time of Uncertainty, he has introduced the healing work of ritual to thousands of people. For thirty-eight years Francis has worked as a psychotherapist and developed a style he calls soul-centered psychotherapy. As a gifted therapist and teacher, he has been described as a jazz artist, improvising, and moving fluidly in and out of deep emotional territories with groups and individuals, bringing imagination and attention to places often held with judgment and shame. He is currently completing his fourth book, The Alchemy of Initiation: Soul Work and the Art of Ripening.
Sunday, November 14, 2021
1:00 - 2:30 pm PST
VITAS Healthcare of San Diego is a dedicated team of hospice professionals. From physicians, nurses, hospice aides to social workers, chaplains and volunteers, this exceptional team is ready to meet your physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
Meet Ben Janzen, Dr. Theol, Ph.D., Hassan Qureshi, Medical Director, Angelina Winslett, Patient Care Admin, Eva Pelton, Admission Manager, and Alex Silva, Volunteer Services Manager of VITAS Healthcare of San Diego who will walk us through the admission process and an evaluation of a new hospice patient.
There’s an opportunity to chat with the panel of experts during the Q&A part of the panel discussion.
Meet the Panelists
MSW at Vitas Healthcare
Ben has worked with VITAS for 11 years now. He received his training at VITAS and worked as Chaplain and Bereavement Services Manager. He completed the training as Certified Grief Recovery Method Specialist.
Dr. Qureshi began his work at VITAS in 2020 as a City of Hope fellow rotating through Program 96 in San Gabriel, California. Prior to working at VITAS, he was a locum tenens hospitalist for Vista Healthcare from 2017-2020. His previous employers include the Battle Creek VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Battle Creek, Michigan, the Jack C. Montgomery VAMC in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Indian Health Service in Browning, Montana.
Dr. Qureshi earned his medical degree and post-baccalaureate degree in health science from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pennsylvania. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in biological science at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey.
The American Board of Internal Medicine and American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine have awarded certification to Dr. Qureshi. He is a member of the American College of Physicians, American College of Osteopathic Internists, and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
Patient Care Administrator for Vitas Healthcare a Hospice organization, I have been in nursing for 29years, became a Nurse Practitioner in 2016 and focused on family medicine, geriatrics.
Sunday, November 14, 2021
2:30 - 4:00 pm PST
Our diverse panel will dive deep into how the hospice referral works from a variety of settings to include, Hospital, Skilled nursing, Assisted Living and community base referrals.
Meet the Panelists
Christina has 20 years of experience working with seniors in the healthcare setting. Ms. Marquez obtained her Masters of Gerontology from California State University in 2002. She began her career in Skilled Nursing Facilities as a Social Services Director, then completed an Administrator in Training Program.
Christina moved to San Diego in 2015, where she worked for several years as a Director of Business Development for a large hospice and implemented their first Palliative Care Program across 4 California sites. Christina is currently the Director of Business Development for Los Robles Healthcare.
Christina’s passion is meeting with families, guiding patients in goals of care conversations, and the ability to bring some joy during the most difficult time in a patient’s life. Christina is a Certified Care Manager, POLST certified trainer, and has had extensive training in Advanced Care planning discussions.