In this episode of "Palliatively Speaking," host Toby Campbell interviews Dr. Judith Paice, the director of the Cancer Pain Program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and co-chair of the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology guideline on opioid use for cancer pain. The conversation explores Dr. Paice's 25-year involvement with the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC), a train-the-trainer program that has reached millions of healthcare professionals worldwide.

In this special episode, Toby Campbell sits down with palliative care legend Dr. Ira Byock for a candid, far-reaching conversation about the field's origins, its current challenges, and the path forward. Joined by the CEO of the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC),  Brynn Bowman, Byock reflects on his early days as a rural family medicine resident drawn to patients "put down the hall" and forgotten—a pull that would lead him to become one of hospice and palliative care's most influential voices.

In this thoughtful and engaging episode, geriatric and palliative care nurse scientist Dr. AB Brody shatters illusions about dementia care with hard-won wisdom. Having witnessed his own grandparents suffer through a system that prioritized medical protocols over human dignity, Brody now leads a quiet revolution in how we support caregivers.

This episode offers a masterclass in humanizing healthcare. Join host Dr. Campbell for a fascinating conversation with Dr. Matt Gonzalez, a software engineer, a palliative care physician, and a leader overseeing 51 hospitals on the West Coast.

Dr. Pantilat takes us back to the early days of palliative care, a time before it even had a name, when he and a small cohort of innovators "sort of made it up" through the groundbreaking Project on Death in America (PDIA). He reveals how this experience of finding his "tribe" was a revelation that shaped his lifelong commitment to mentorship.

In a compelling episode, Dr. Cardi Smith, Chief Medical Officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering and a leader in oncology and palliative care, shared her journey, from her mother’s unfulfilled dream of becoming a physician to her own rise in medicine. Driven by a legacy of resilience, she emphasized leadership as a tool for systemic change, not personal power.

In this engaging podcast episode, Dr. Toby Campbell interviews Dr. Rachelle Bernacki, a palliative care physician and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, alongside guest Dr. Stephanie Harman. Dr. Bernacki shares her journey into palliative care and geriatrics, mentorship, and systemic change. She reflects on the development and scaling of the Serious Illness Conversation Guide, a tool now used globally, despite initial rejections and challenges in publishing the foundational research.

Dr. Carey Candrian (she/her) is a visionary researcher and advocate dedicated to advancing health equity for LGBTQ+ communities. Dr. Candrian is an Associate Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the Director of LGBTQ+ Research and Community Engagement. Beyond academia, Dr. Candrian serves as Vice President of the Lesbian Health Fund and holds a seat on the Board of Directors at GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing Health Equity, where she amplifies the voices of marginalized communities. Dr. Candrian’s unwavering commitment to inclusivity and equity continues to shape a more compassionate and equitable healthcare.

This conversation explores the challenges and strategies involved in helping clinicians, particularly surgeons, improve their communication and decision-making practices to provide better patient-centered care. Dr. Gretchen Schwarze, a vascular surgeon and medical ethicist, and Dr. Amy Zelenski, an education researcher, discuss how their collaborative work aims to shift clinicians' mindsets and behaviors around informed consent, prognostic communication, and shared decision-making.

This episode features Allison Kestenbaum, Supervisor of Spiritual Care and Clinical Pastoral Education at UC San Diego Health, and Natasha Ecombe, a staff chaplain and former art curator who trained under Allison’s program.  They explore the role of chaplains in palliative care, their approaches to spiritual care, and the deep impact of presence, curiosity, and reflection in the clinical setting.  We get Allison's reflection on living well, including practicing gratitude, embracing connection, and having the courage to be seen and heard.  We discuss how the chaplain's very presence in an important conversation affects the way the conversation unfolds, the feel and the outcome. 

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In this episode, Stephanie Harman, a pioneering palliative care physician and clinical professor at Stanford University, reflects on building programs that expand access to palliative care while developing the next generation of leaders. From harnessing machine learning to advancing gender equity in academic medicine, she shares how innovation and leadership can reshape care for patients and clinicians alike.

Arif Kamal reflects on his path as a palliative care physician and healthcare leader, from advancing patient-centered quality measures to shaping national advocacy efforts. Drawing on roles at the American Cancer Society, Duke University, and now as CEO of Prepped Health, he explores how leadership, measurement, and innovation can meaningfully improve care for patients and families.

In this first episode, pediatric palliative care physician Debra Lotstein reflects on the moments that shaped her approach to caring for seriously ill children, and how slowing down helps families navigate uncertainty. Joined by Ryan’s mother, Patty Everett, she explores how trust, teamwork, and compassionate guidance can transform impossible decisions into shared purpose and advocacy.