AAHPM reached out to the 2024 Emerging Leaders to gain insight into what motivated them to pursue leadership positions and what they find more fulfilling in their experiences. Katrina Nickels, MD FASAM has been recognized as one of the exceptional individuals chosen as a 2024 AAHPM Emerging Leader in Hospice and Palliative Care.
Who has most influenced your work and how have they shaped your contributions?
During my time at Bluegrass Care Navigators, Todd Cote mentored me through the time when I recognized the need to learn about addiction medicine and the intersection with palliative care. He encouraged me to attend stakeholder summits in our state and to observe how connections between organizations are made. He challenged me to focus my energy on achievable small goals and to recognize opportunities to influence bigger change when the practice landscape was ready.
What is the significance to you of being recognized as a “Emerging Leader” in Hospice and Palliative Medicine?
The recognition is exciting as it is really a recognition of the need to expand hospice and palliative medicine into the care of serious illnesses that were not originally embraced nor taught in detail during my generation of medical training – mental illnesses and substance use disorders. I am by no means an expert, but I am passionate about talking with experts and sharing the experience of being a self-directed learning with others, especially those not in academic institutions, as I was for most of my career. I hope that this recognition signifies that I have helped colleagues with my efforts and am on the right path.
What is your aspiration for the evolution of hospice and Palliative Medicine?
I hope that hospice and palliative medicine evolves to include prevention as well as identifying and addressing suffering in patients and caregivers, with expansion of early palliative care models in healthcare to become the norm. I hope that hospice reimbursement models will be more inclusive of care of patients who continue to receive costly interventions that improve their quality of life.
Learn more about the AAHPM 2024 Emerging Leaders in Hospice and Palliative Care and view a full list of all current and past Emerging Leaders.