Leader of San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine’s Children’s Program Selected to Join Prestigious Board

San Diego, California – In honor of the upcoming National Doctors’ Day, which celebrates the contribution of physicians who serve our country by caring for its citizens, San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine would like to applaud Dr. Kim Bower, their Medical Director of Pediatric Programs, for being named one of only seven physician members to the National Board for Hospice Medical Director Certification.

Only physicians who have a national reputation as leaders in hospice care are named to this board, which focuses on certifying physicians for the role of Hospice Medical Director in the nation’s more than 5,000 hospice programs. Dr. Bower has the additional honor of being named a founding member.

“This board is tasked with the important role of setting standards for hospice physicians so we can continue to provide the best possible overall care for patients, and their families,” said Dr. Bower. “I am honored I am able to participate in such a worthy mission.”
 
“I believe our physicians are the best and brightest in the nation,” said Kathleen Pacurar, CEO & President of San Diego Hospice.  “Their continued accomplishments, such as this one by Dr. Bower, exemplify this fact.”

Dr. Bower leads San Diego Hospice’s Pediatric Programs, a specialized pediatric interdisciplinary team that addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of a child and his/her family members. The goal of this team is to help families maximize the quality of the precious time that they have with their child, as well as manage the uncertainty and anxiety that often occurs during this difficult time.  Often, this team is viewed as an “extra layer of support” for the family.

Dr. Bower has been with San Diego Hospice since July 2004, when she began her first year fellowship.  She stayed on as a second year fellow, focusing on pediatric palliative care and international efforts in palliative care and education. Board certified in Family Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Dr. Bower received her Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, graduated from University of Kansas - School of Medicine in Kansas City, Kansas and completed her residency in 2003 at the Brown University Family Medicine program at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

About San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine
San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine is one of the largest community-owned, not-for-profit hospices in the country, bringing compassionate, expert medical care to more than 1,000 seriously ill adults and children each day throughout San Diego County.  For more information, visit www.sdhospice.org or call toll-free 866-688-1600. Join our online communities on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube and The Caregiver’s Corner blog.

Contact Information

Melissa DelaCalzada

Associate Director of Communications and Marketing

San Diego Hospice

(1) (619) 278-6139

mdelacalzada@sdhospice.org