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While death remains a taboo topic for most, Joseph Shega, MD, has devoted his career to improving the care of older adults at the end of life. In his role as senior vice president and chief medical officer for Miami-based VITAS Healthcare, the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care, Dr. Shega provides oversight of the overall medical direction at VITAS programs in 14 states and the District of Columbia.
He has worked with other VITAS teams to revolutionize the company’s delivery of care using advanced technologies, strengthened by deployment of mobile technology to improve the delivery and experience of patient care in the field and at the bedside. He also has pursued leadership opportunities, research, editorial initiatives and partnerships to reinforce VITAS’ position as an industry leader and its guiding value to “put patients and families first.”
During his six-year tenure at VITAS, Dr. Shega has:
• Expanded service offerings for high-risk and complex hospice patients
• Helped define palliative care offerings
• Incorporated scientific inquiry into VITAS’ mission as a hospice leader
• Supported efforts to embed seamless mobile technology into the routine, daily delivery of healthcare by more than 8,000 VITAS clinicians to patients and families
Dr. Shega has transformed death and dying into an acceptable and necessary topic of discussion among patients and their families–as they face life-and-death decisions–and among healthcare professionals as they care for patients. He addresses and influences numerous issues surrounding death, dying, hospice care and palliative care, both within VITAS and as a nationally recognized leader, researcher, editor and advocate; he has published more than 50 studies and articles on hospice and palliative care.
Just as he is transforming VITAS as an organization, Dr. Shega is transforming the practice of healthcare and guiding healthcare providers as they search for cost-effective and innovative solutions that support patient-centered care, improved healthcare delivery and organizational excellence.
