HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE MEDICINE

MISSION

The mission of the Waco Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship is to form exemplary hospice and palliative medicine physicians by combining superior training and compassionate service with outstanding fellows and faculty in the setting of a community health center dedicated to the care of the underserved.

The Waco Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship aims to develop fellows who care for pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients with a variety of medical, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds. This care is provided in a variety of settings, including inpatient, outpatient, nursing home, and patients’ homes to provide comprehensive assessment and management of patients’ suffering and quality of life, including physical, functional, social, psychological, spiritual, and cognitive domains.

STRUCTURE

  • One year, ACGME-approved fellowship
  • Emphasis on graduates of primary care residencies—family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics
  • Competitive PGY-4 salary and benefits

CURRICULUM & CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

  • Didactics
  • Inpatient Palliative Consult Service
  • Inpatient Hospice
  • Home Hospice
  • Pediatric and Perinatal Experiences
  • Long-Term Care
  • Outpatient Palliative Care Clinic
  • Ethics
  • Electives
  • Scholarly Project

COLLABORATIONS

Waco Family Health Center
A federally qualified health center caring for over 50,000 patients in McLennan County

Baylor Scott and White – Hillcrest Hospital
A 236-bed community-based hospital and level 2 trauma center with 24 adult intensive care unit beds and 20 neonatal intensive care unit beds

Community Health Care of Texas
The largest nonprofit, Medicare-certified hospice in Texas; eight bed inpatient hospice unit 

Baylor University
A private Christian university and nationally ranked research institution with a premiere Medical Humanities program

FACULTY & EDUCATORS

Paul Smith, DO, Program Director – board certified in family medicine, geriatric medicine, and hospice and palliative medicine
Joshua Wesley, MD, Hospice Medical Director – board certified in family medicine
Devan Stahl, PhD, MDiv, Faculty – clinical bioethicist at Baylor University
Lance Kelley, PhD, Faculty – behavioral medicine at Waco Family Health Center
Interdisciplinary teams including social workers, advanced practice providers, nursing staff, chaplains, and pharmacists

CURRENT FELLOW

Katie Altahif

Katie Altahif, MD

  • Waco Family Medicine Residency, Class of 2020 
  • University of Texas Medical Branch, Class of 2017
  • Baylor University, Class of 2013