The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Announces New Science Advisor

CHICAGO—The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine announced the appointment of Stacy Fischer, as its first science advisor. Fischer will guide AAHPM’s efforts to advance research in hospice and palliative care and deepen its relationships with key partners in the field. She will counsel the Academy on its many research initiatives, including training, mentoring and developing resources for early- and mid-career investigators and providing a professional home for serious illness researchers at all career stages.

Fischer is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus. Most recently she has been the Program Leader in Cancer Prevention and Control. Her research on the care of people with serious illness has been broadly published in peer-reviewed journals. She also practices as an inpatient palliative care consultant and has held board certification in both geriatric and internal medicine. She received her medical degree from The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and completed an internal medicine residency and geriatrics fellowship at The University of Colorado.

“AAHPM is dedicated to building the evidence base needed to provide the highest quality of care to patients and families,” said AAHPM Board President Vicki Jackson. “Ensuring that AAHPM is a fertile home for our research community has been a strategic priority over the last year. We strongly believe the science advisor will expertly guide the Academy even closer to this goal.”

Fischer will be assisted by Laura Hanson MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Areej El-Jawahri, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Both bring deep research experience in hospice and palliative care and unique perspectives on how it fits in the broader field of healthcare research.

The creation of the science advisor role reaffirms AAHPM’s commitment to propelling hospice and palliative care research. The science advisor will be a valuable new resource to the Academy and its members. In addition, AAHPM is launching a 12-month pilot program through its Serious Illness Research Consultant Center (SIRCC) to address the needs of early career investigators by matching them with experts for consultation in research methodology, grant writing and more.

To learn more about current AAHPM research programs please visit aahpm.org/education/research.