Medical Director for VITAS Innovative Hospice Care of Palm Beach County
Jeffrey M. Behrens, MD, FACP, CMD, CHCQM, is the newly named medical director for VITAS Innovative Hospice Care® of Palm Beach County. In this role, Dr. Behrens provides and oversees expert palliative care and symptom management for this growing hospice program, while educating community-based healthcare professionals and physicians on the benefits of hospice care to terminally ill patients. He first joined VITAS in 2002 as a consulting physician and subsequently served as a team physician until he was named medical director in May, 2004.
Dr. Behrens road to hospice care is a long and rewarding one. Citing his first job as a Newsday carrier as a teen in Long Island, New York, the young Jeffrey Behrens learned the power of hard work and perseverancethemes that would mold his character and career.
Dr. Behrens received his medical degree at New York Medical College in Valhalla, NY, after graduating with honors from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He completed his internal medicine internship and residency at Nassau County Medical Center on Long Island, NY. After serving three years as a Captain in the US Army Medical Corps, he was in private practice in New York and then West Virginia. Dr. Behrens is board certified in internal medicine, geriatrics and healthcare quality and management and is a certified medical director of long-term care facilities. He, in fact, serves as medical director for several Palm Beach County nursing homes.
Since relocating to Florida in 1988, Dr. Behrens has been caring for elderly patients and patients in long-term care facilities, including those with terminal illnesses – a fitting and important prelude to his VITAS medical directorship. Dr. Behrens previously served as chief of staff at JFK Medical Center, one of the largest hospitals in Palm Beach County. A self-proclaimed workaholic, he now splits his time between his positions as medical director at VITAS and in private practice at Medical Specialties of the Palm Beaches in Atlantis.
Dr. Behrens has seen his VITAS program grow substantially since he first joined the organization. There are now three other physicians in addition to Dr. Behrens at the VITAS Palm Beach County program, with two more physicians coming on board in the next several weeks. His staff cares for more than 130 patients, up from 50 patients only a year ago.
The growth of the program can be attributed in large part to Dr. Behrens frequent lectures to the public as well as to physicians, nurses and pharmacists on issues affecting the geriatric population, including end-of-life care. Dr. Behrens understands that some doctors have preconceived mental barriers to hospice care, avoiding referrals to hospice because they may believe hospice care means a failure on their part. But most physicians learn, after speaking with Dr. Behrens, that hospice care is a much more comfortable way for a patient and family to say goodbye.
Dr. Behrens has learned many lessons during his career as well; the most valuable lesson being the need to stay focused on providing high quality clinical care while steering clear of negative influences and negative messages. These influences and messages include continually declining reimbursement, malpractice threats, frivolous lawsuits, a shrinking pool of nurses, and a general decline of work ethics. He believes that physicians whose mantra is hard work, compassion, and a personal drive for excellence as their true calling will be the ones who really succeed.
For Dr. Behrens, South Florida represents the very best in medical care. He believes this area boasts some of the smartest and best trained physicians in the country who are capable of providing world class care to anyone who needs it.
Today, as medical director for VITAS Innovative Hospice Care® of Palm Beach County, Dr. Behrens focuses his efforts on providing compassionate, expert care for patients nearing the end of life. VITAS is the crowning achievement of his professional career.
