David Casarett, MD, section chief of Palliative Care, and Arif Kamal, MD, MHS, MBA, associate professor of medicine (Medical Oncology), are among 30 individuals who have been recognized by the American Academcy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine as "Visionaries in Hospice and Palliative Medicine."
As AAHPM reached their 25th anniversary milestone in 2013, the visionaries project was created in order to recognize individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the field of hospice and palliative medicine. Every 5 years, AAHPM will add to this list of visionaries to preserve and honor the work that has been done.
For its 30th anniversary in 2018, AAHPM sought to recognize 30 more individuals who had made impactful contributions. Nearly 150 individuals were nominated and more than 6,500 votes were cast. The final 30 were determined by a panel of Past Visionaries which reviewed the top vote-getters.
Many common themes emerged in praise of the nominees - mentor, leader, big thinker. They were cited for their innovation, meaningful contributions, extraordinary vision and inspirational leadership. Among the 30 were early pioneers and trailblzers, as well as young innovators representing the new generation of Visionaries taking the profession into the future.