Kamal Named Visionary in Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Arif Kamal, MD, MBA, MHSArif Kamal, MD, MBA, MHS, associate professor of Medicine and Business Administration and physician director of Quality at the Duke Cancer Institute, was recently named by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) as one of the 30 most influential leaders in hospice and palliative medicine, the medical specialty focused on relieving suffering and improving quality of life for people with serious illnesses.

The academy recognizes, with the AAHPM Visionary Award, key individuals who have been critical in building and shaping the hospice and palliative medicine field over the past 30 years. Each year the AAHPM asks its 5,000 members to nominate leaders or visionaries in the field of hospice and palliative medicine. Members then vote for the top 10 among the 142 nominated.

"Being selected as an AAHPM Visionary is an immense honor, as the others selected to the list truly represent the pioneers who have taken palliative care from a special interest group to a tour-de-force medical specialty," Kamal said. "I am humbled to join others in the Duke community, past and present, who have used the platform provided by our university to change serious illness care locally and across the world."

Hospice and palliative medicine is the medical specialty that focuses on improving quality of life and relieving pain and other symptoms in seriously ill patients. Palliative care is provided to patients who are continuing to receive treatments to try to cure or control their disease, regardless of their prognosis. Hospice is a specific type of palliative care for patients whose life expectancy is six months or less. 

For more information on the Visionaries project, including the this year's 30 Visionary Award recipients, visit www.aahpm.org.