Ira Byock, M.D., on the Crisis in Hospice Care
The creation of the modern hospice movement was a major advance in the care for people with terminal illnesses. Alas, in recent years, hospice has entered something of a crisis, with too many facilities offering inadequate care and some patients receiving short shrift of services to which they are entitled. To get to the bottom of the problem, Wesley invited one of the movement’s leading lights, Dr. Ira Byock, to discuss what has gone wrong with hospice and what can be done about it.
Ira Byock, M.D., F.A.A.H.P.M., is a leading medical authority, author, and public advocate for improving care for people living with serious medical conditions. He is an active emeritus professor of medicine and community & family medicine at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. He earned specialty certifications in Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Hospice & Palliative Medicine. Dr. Byock has been involved in hospice and palliative care since 1978.
He is a past president of the Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. From 1996 to 2006, Dr. Byock directed a national grant project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that developed prototypes for concurrent palliative care within mainstream health care. From 2003 to 2013, he led the Section of Palliative Care within the Dartmouth Health system based in New Hampshire.
In 2014, Dr. Byock founded the Institute for Human Caring within the multi-state Providence health system. The Institute drives transformation to make caring for whole persons the new normal.
He is the author of three books, including Dying Well, which became a standard in the field of hospice and palliative care. Dr. Byock lectures nationally and internationally and often appears in the media. This is his second appearance on this podcast.
Related Resources
- Ira Byock, M.D. | Ira Byock’s Website
- “The hospice industry needs major reforms. It should start with apologies” by Ira Byock | Stat News
- National Hospice Locator | Hospice Analytics
- “Core Roles and Responsibilities of Physicians in Hospice Care: A Statement by and for U.S. Hospice and Palliative Care Physicians” | PubMed
- “How the Hospice Movement Became a For-Profit Hustle” by Ava Kofman | ProPublica