The Palliative Care team provides interdisciplinary, team-based care for patients and families facing serious illness. Our team is led by certified hospice and palliative medicine physicians and incorporates expertise from physicians, advanced practice clinicians, pharmacists, nurses, chaplains, social workers, psychologists, and other allied health professionals. These individuals all collaborate to develop comprehensive care plans that address suffering in every dimension of a patient’s life. Our goal is to deliver palliative services to the right patient at the right time during their disease trajectory. 
  
Palliative care is closely aligned with the core values, mission, and vision of Mayo Clinic. Our team draws on resources, support, and collaboration from all Mayo Clinic campuses, including Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona; Jacksonville, Florida; Rochester, Minnesota; and the community-based practices within Mayo Clinic Health System. This unique partnership leverages the strengths of each site to maximize the impact of our mission. 

From the program director

Welcome! The Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus offers a unique opportunity to train at an institution renowned for its commitment to multidisciplinary, personalized care for patients with serious illnesses.

Since launching our fellowship in 2007, our graduates have become leaders in the field. During the 2022 academic year, we proudly introduced our first intraprofessional fellowship class.

Our fellowship aims to prepare future academic leaders who excel across Mayo Clinic’s three shields: clinical practice, education, and research.

Fellows develop clinical expertise across all aspects of hospice and palliative care, working closely with expert clinicians and engaging in educational conferences. Our fellowship also offers abundant research opportunities and the chance to present at national meetings.

Graduates leave our program with expert skills in symptom management, including managing methadone, buprenorphine, and ketamine; evaluating for and administering palliative sedation; and leading hospice administration as medical directors. By the end of training, fellows are proficient in navigating complex, high-stakes conversations in multifaceted psychosocial and cross-cultural situations.

In short, our graduates practice at the pinnacle of specialist hospice and palliative medicine.

This website provides an overview of our fellowship, as well as our approach to patient care, education, and research at Mayo Clinic. Please contact us if you have any questions. Thank you for your interest in our program.

Faculty

Faculty members are committed to patient care, research, and education. Our consultants work with fellows providing education via daily bedside teaching rounds, didactics, and informal educational discussions. Consultants are always readily available to help with navigating professional challenges and supporting a fellow’s career goals.

Core fellowship faculty

Clinical faculty

In addition to our core fellowship faculty, fellows work with faculty from various training backgrounds, including:

• Internal medicine
• Hematology/Oncology
• Family medicine
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Anesthesiology and pain medicine
• Psychiatry and psychology
• Emergency medicine
• Pediatrics

Clinical faculty for pediatrics

	Lezlie Andersen, M.D. View profile
	Christopher Collura, M.D. View profile
	Megan Thorvilson, M.D. View profile
	Brenda Schiltz, M.D., M.A. View profile