Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellows

• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow - Present
• Residency: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
• Medical School: Doctor of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH

Nikki developed an interest in palliative care while doing sarcoma research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center prior to medical school. She was fortunate to work with surgical oncologists who helped her understand that while cure is often desired, many of the most meaningful operations are focused on palliation and restoring quality of life. While working at MSKCC she completed a master's in bioethics, focusing on medical ethics and the role of hope in cancer care. After graduating from Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, she completed three years of general surgery training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center before completing a three-year clinical research fellowship focused on surgical palliative care at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center. Her academic interests include surgical palliative care, medical education, critical care, surgical oncology, and medical ethics. As a hospice and palliative care fellow, Nikki is excited to acquire new knowledge and skills that will be invaluable to her as a physician. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, cooking, and hiking.

• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow - Present
• Residency: University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
• Medical School: University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA

Michelle grew up in Massachusetts and attended Providence College followed by the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She moved to Tampa, Florida, for her Internal Medicine Residency training at the University of South Florida. There, she was chosen to be a third year Chief Resident at Tampa General Hospital. Michelle was first introduced to the field of Palliative Care on an elective rotation in medical school. During this rotation, she realized that she was drawn to the intricacies of complex symptom management and creating a thoughtful, patient-centered approach to goals of care. In her residency, Michelle was selected for the Clinical Educator Track, where she developed a multifaceted hospice and palliative care curriculum targeted to internal medicine residents. She recently presented this work at the 2023 AAHPM Assembly in Montreal, Canada. Michelle is thrilled to return to New England and join the BIDMC family in pursuit of her dream of becoming a Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physician. Outside of medicine, she enjoys boating, playing piano, football Sundays, and trying new restaurants with family and friends.

• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow - Present
• Residency: Virginia Commonwealth University Health, Richmond, VA
• Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA

After growing up in Hershey, PA, Katie was drawn south for 12 years to complete her undergraduate and medical education, Internal Medical Residency and chief residency. Throughout this time, she developed a passion for medical education and communication with patients at the end of life. As an internal medicine resident, she was initially drawn to critical care, both due to the complex pathophysiology and the opportunities she was given to work with patients and their families to provide goal-concordant care in critical illness. Soon after starting her pulmonary and critical care fellowship in 2020, she realized the importance of palliative care integration in both the intensive care unit and the pulmonary clinic. Over the course of her pulmonary fellowship, she developed a passion for treating patients with end stage lung disease and was able to build an integrated Pulmonary/Palliative Clinic at Tufts. After fellowship, Katie hopes to integrate her critical care, pulmonary and palliative care training to care for patients both inside and outside of the hospital with advanced lung disease, while providing palliative care education to pulmonary providers. Outside of work, Katie enjoys traveling, exploring new restaurants, board games, swimming, yoga, running and spending time outside with her husband and daughter.

• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow, 2022 – Present
• Emergency Medicine Residency, SUNY Upstate Medical School, Syracuse, NY, 2022
• Doctor of Medicine, Ross University School of Medicine, Bridgetown, Barbados, 2019
• Master of Arts in Medical Sciences, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 2012
• Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Certificate, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 2008
• Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 2006

Renée developed an interest in palliative care during her Emergency Medicine residency. Seeing the complex psychosocial, financial and physical obstacles that patients and their families face made her realize the tremendous value of incorporating a more patient-centered approach into her practice. She understands that some people experience a kind of suffering that is not limited to physical pain; it results from the fear that either the illness or its treatment may threaten their core sense of self going forward. In such situations, Renée believes it is critical to listen closely to patients' concerns and what matters most to them. She hopes to bring awareness to the importance of having goals of care conversations early on. By employing this approach, providers can improve quality of life, reduce hospital stays and help bring greater peace of mind to both patients and their families. Outside of work, Renée enjoys gardening, traveling and exploring new restaurants with her husband.

• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow, 2022 – Present
• Lahey Hospital and Medical Center Hospitalist, Burlington, MA, 2018-2022
• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – Montefiore/Presbyterian, ACGME Residency, Pittsburgh, PA, 2015-2018
• Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 2011-2015
• Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Waltham, MA, 2011-2015
• Bachelor of Arts, Public Policy, and Certificate, Health Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, 2007-2011

Growing up in the suburbs of Massachusetts, Alex briefly left his home state to complete his residency at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center after completing his MD/MBA at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. He returned as a hospitalist at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center. His interests include quality and patient safety, previously serving on a committee and completing projects in those domains. As a hospice and palliative care fellow, Alex is excited to continue to develop communication skills to provide patient-centered care. In his spare time, Alex is a fan of the Boston Celtics and the Duke Blue Devils.

• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow, 2021 – Present
• BIDMC Hematology Oncology Hospitalist, Boston, MA, 2020-2021
• Mount Auburn Hospital, ACGME Residency, Cambridge, MA, 2017-2020
• Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 2013-2017
• Bachelor of Anthropology, Global health and Health Policy, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 2009-2013

Charlotte initially moved to Boston for residency at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge after attending medical school at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia near her family. After residency, she loved working at BIDMC as an oncology hospitalist. She is excited to continue to develop her clinical and communication skills as a palliative care fellow. Outside of the hospital, she loves spending time with her supportive husband and three young kids who have a lot of energy. She also loves reflecting and writing about clinical experiences and has pieces published in JAMA, the Annals of Internal Medicine, and Health Affairs; she is currently a writing fellow for Doximity.

• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow, 2021 – Present
• Boston Medical Center, ACGME Residency, Boston, MA, 2018-2021
• University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, 2014-2018
• Bachelor of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, 2009-2013

Julia Newman hails from Colorado where she also completed her medical school training at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Afterwards, she moved to Boston for her Internal Medicine residency at Boston Medical Center. In addition to a passion for medical education, she has worked on a variety of research projects regarding patient consent in the ICU, tobacco cessation in patients with substance use, and blood clots in patients with sickle cell disease. Spending long hours working in the medical intensive care unit during multiple COVID peaks she came to realize the necessity of integrating Palliative Care and Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine both in and out of the hospital. After her palliative care fellowship, Julia hopes to complete a fellowship in Pulmonary/Critical Care to help patients with end stage lung disease live their best lives. Outside of medicine she enjoys spending time outside, cooking new recipes, reading and loves hosting game nights with her fiancé, Will. Hopefully soon she can also get back to traveling the world!

• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow, 2021 - Present
• Research Fellow in Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics, Boston, MA, 2020 - 2021
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, 2017 - 2021
• Doctor of Medicine, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel, 2013 - 2017
• Community Health Volunteer, United States Peace Corps Mission in Mozambique, 2011 - 2012
• Bachelor of Science, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 2006 - 2010

Eric (he/they) first gained exposure to hospice care in Austin, Texas, where he volunteered with Project Transitions, a local NGO providing support to individuals with HIV/AIDS in Central Texas. Family roots in South Korea and Taiwan cultivated a long-standing interest in culture and identity, motivating him to serve in the United States Peace Corps in Mozambique and later study medicine and global health in Israel. He sought postgraduate training in physical medicine and rehabilitation and is similarly drawn to hospice and palliative medicine because of the specialties’ shared focus on patient goals and quality of life. He had the privilege of completing an additional fellowship in bioethics during his final year of residency and looks forward to integrating the sum of his experiences as a palliative medicine fellow. Eric finds joy in cooking and sharing meals as a natural expression of caregiving and loves to travel and learn about other cultures.

• Staff Physician, Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 2021 – present
• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow, 2020 – 2021
• Attending Physician, Emergency Department, Harrington Hospital, Southbridge, MA, 2020 – present
• University of Michigan, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Chief Resident in Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, 1998 - 2002
• University of Michigan, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Residency in Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, 1998 - 2002
• Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 1993 – 1996, 1997 – 1998

After graduating from Harvard Medical School, Kirsten completed a residency in emergency medicine and a clinical research fellowship, as part of the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars program, at the University of Michigan. In subsequent years, Kirsten’s husband had several new job opportunities which resulted in moves within the US and ultimately to his native country of Denmark. Kirsten worked as emergency medicine faculty at Yale University and Northwestern University and, most recently, held a position at Copenhagen University. She is now thrilled to have the opportunity to pursue her longstanding interest in hospice and palliative medicine. Kirsten loves spending time with her three teenagers and her husband, as well as going on long walks with their little cavapoo, Felix.

• Staff Physician, Section of Palliative Care and Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 2021 – present
• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow, 2020 – 2021
• Harvard-Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 2017
• Doctor of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA, 2010 - 2014
• Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Certificate, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 2007 - 2009
• Bachelor of Arts, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 2001 – 2005

Brian grew up in central New York State and trained as a paramedic while in college at Cornell University. After a few years as a paramedic and flight paramedic in New York, Los Angeles, and Vermont, he attended medical school at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, and then completed an emergency medicine residency and served as a chief resident at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He served for three years on active duty in the United States Air Force, during which he further developed his interest in integrating palliative care concepts into emergency medicine. He loves spending time with his wife and dog, cooking, and really any outdoor activity, but mostly cycling, kayaking, hiking, and skiing.

• Staff Physician, Palliative Care, Kaweah Health Medical Center, Visalia, CA, 2021 – present
• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow, 2020 – 2021
• UCLA-Kern Medical Center, ACGME Residency, Bakersfield, CA, 2017 – 2020
• Researcher, University Retina, Chicago, IL, 2013 - 2013
• Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, India, 2006 - 2013

Before coming to BIDMC, Sunny attended medical school at Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai, India. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at UCLA-Kern in Bakersfield, California. He served as chief of pharmacovigilance in a committee established to search for novel therapeutic non-opioid interventions including virtual reality for managing acute and chronic pain in both inpatient and outpatient settings for a variety of medical illnesses. Research interests include pain management and he is currently engaged in projects utilizing virtual reality as a therapeutic intervention for refractory symptom management. His academic interest focuses on the intersection of palliative care with hematology and oncology. He has a great passion for providing culturally sensitive and compassionate care for medically disadvantaged and underserved populations. In his free time, he loves pursuing his wanderlust, portrait photography, and cooking worldly cuisines!

• Staff, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, Toronto, ON, 2020 - present
• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow, 2019 - 2020
• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, 2016 - 2019
• Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel, 2012 – 2016
• York University, Toronto, ON, 2009 – 2011
• University of Western Ontario, London, ON, 2003 - 2008

My passion is to make every day the best day it can be for patients with serious illness. My interest in palliative care began during my internal medicine residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. I have been fortunate to pursue my Palliative Care fellowship at BIDMC and join a group of kind, motivated and thoughtful doctors, nurses, social workers and spiritual care providers. In addition to symptom management and communication skills, I have learned the importance of being an empathic presence to my patients, and having a team-oriented multi-disciplinary approach to patient care. After graduation, I will be moving home to Canada to continue my growth as a palliative care and internal medicine physician. Let's Go Raptors, Let's Go!

"Fellowship truly made me a better doctor. Everything I learned at Beth Israel Deaconess translates both inside the palliative care specialty but also to my practice in internal medicine. I just feel more versatile being able to handle difficult conversations surrounding prognosis and treatment options. I also feel confident treating any symptom. Perhaps most importantly is my appreciation of other staff and specialists in the hospital and trying to work together as a team to better patient care. My palliative care fellowship forever changed me and there's no doubt that all my patients are the true beneficiaries."

• Staff, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, 2020 – present
• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow, 2019 - 2020
• Nephrology Fellow, 2017 – 2019
• Bassett medical center internal medicine residency, Copperstowns, NY, 2014 – 2017
• First Class honor in Doctor of Medicine- Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 2004 – 2010

My parents named me "Ten" because I am the 10th grandchild on both paternal and maternal sides. I am originally from Thailand. I came to US for Internal Medicine training at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, NY. I was introduced to Palliative Care medicine there and this specialty has been imprinted on my mind since. Palliative Care has changed my view of how good doctor should be. However, I decided to do nephrology fellowship training first (also at BIDMC!) because it was my initial plan. Then I found the perfect fit between these two specialties, I realized that kidney patients do need doctors who know Palliative Care. My career focus is on applying Palliative Care practice in chronic kidney disease patients. After graduation, I am going back to my medical school in Thailand to help build a Palliative Care team there.

"What surprised me the most during my fellowship was our roles after the patient passed away. Helping patient's family with grief and bereavement is a big thing."

• Assistant Professor, Supportive Oncology and Palliative Care Program, 2020 - present
• Staff, Abington Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, 2019-present
• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow, 2018 - 2019
• BIDMC, Internal Medicine Residency, 2015 - 2018
  • MA in Medical Ethics
  • MD
• Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 2011
• St. John's College, Annapolis, MD, 2008

Dylan grew up in New Hampshire. He went to St. John's College in Annapolis, MD for undergrad studying philosophy and literature. He went to medical school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and also completed a Master's in Bioethics while he was there. He came back to New England for residency at BIDMC. He was thrilled to attend the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at BIDMC. After graduating, he and his wife moved to Philadelphia. Dylan now works as an attending a Fox Chase Cancer Center working in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. His academic interests include Advance Care Planning, Quality Improvement, and Medical Education. Outside of work, he enjoys going on day trips with his wife, cooking, skiing, playing guitar, and entertaining his goldendoodle puppy.

"One learning point that has been critical is the following: Have a differential for everything. This includes pain and other symptoms but also emotional reactions: Why did this family member react that way? Why did I react the way I did? Why might he or she ask that question? This persistent curiosity really helps to think critically about what someone might understand, where they are emotionally, and at the most basic level why their symptoms are occurring."

• Staff, Care Dimensions Hospice and Emerson Hospital Palliative Care Consultation, 2019 - present
• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow, 2018 - 2019
• Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, NY, 2013 - 2018
  • Primary Care physician, 2013 - 2014
  • Hospitalist, 2014 - 2018
• Marino Center for Integrative Health, Wellesley, MA 2011 - 2013
• Boston Medical Center, Family Medicine Residency, Boston, MA 2011
• Stony Brook University School of Medicine, NY, 2007
• University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 2000

Dr. Weinstock joined Care Dimensions in 2019 as a Hospice and Palliative Care physician. In her role, she provides palliative care consultations at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA as well as works with an interdisciplinary team to provide hospice care to patients admitted to the Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln.

Dr. Weinstock is a graduate of Stonybrook University School of Medicine in New York. She is board certified in family medicine and completed her residency at Boston University Medical Center and now specializes in Hospice and Palliative Care after finishing her fellowship training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Boston.

Prior to completing her fellowship, she has worked as a hospitalist and primary care physician in New York and the Greater Boston Area. She has served on several advisory boards and workgroups focused on hospice and palliative care and chronic-pain management.

"One of my best memories of fellowship was my elective week with the Spiritual Care team. I didn't realize how much I had to learn about hospital chaplains, their beliefs, scope of practice and expertise. I now ask every patient about their spirituality and consult the hospital chaplains regularly. "

• Staff, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, MA, 2018 - present
• Advanced Research Fellow, New England Geriatric Research and Education Clinical Center (GRECC) two year advanced Fellowship, VA Boston
• Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow 2017 - 2018
• Psychiatry Residency, University of Kentucky, Louisville, KY, 2013 - 2017
• Medical School, University of Kentucky, Louisville, KY, 2009 - 2013
• Undergraduate Program, Colby College, Waterville, ME, 2001 – 2005

Zachary found his calling in palliative care as a third-year medical student on a required palliative rotation during his medicine clerkship. Since then, he has continually sought to bring his psychiatric training to palliative medicine to improve the lives of seriously ill individuals. As the inaugural palliative medicine fellow at BIDMC, Zachary found a community excited to integrate clinicians with varied clinical backgrounds. Following clinical fellowship, he remained connected to the BIDMC/VA program, completing a two-year research fellowship at the VA developing additional research and writing skills. His work sits at the intersection of geriatrics, palliative care and psychiatry, focusing on understanding the experience of older adults with PTSD at end of life and developing novel psychotherapeutic treatments. His clinical work focuses on the management of pain and substance use disorders in the context of palliative care. He currently maintains an outpatient palliative care clinic at the Boston VA merging his psychiatric and palliative care skills. Outside of work he enjoys day trips around New England with his partner as well as mountain biking and bikepacking.