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. Milagros Silva, MD FAAHPM 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?
The patients and their families that I have cared for since I started working in the medical field have influenced my work. The positive encouragement and constructive feedback have helped shape who I am as a physician. I am grateful to my mentors Drs. Reid and Adelman who have believed in me since I started in the field of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. With their support and guidance, I have been able to create an outpatient palliative practice, fully engage in medical education and lead various research projects focusing on improving end-of-life communication in language discordant encounters.
What is the significance to you of being recognized as a “Emerging Leader” in Hospice and Palliative Medicine?
To be recognized as an “Emerging Leader” in Hospice and Palliative Medicine is both a humbling and proud moment in my career. The support of the Academy strengthens my convictions and passions to move the field forward. The recognition reminds me of the importance of mentorship in the field.
What is your aspiration for the evolution of hospice and Palliative Medicine?
My hope is that more disciplines and fields in medicine are trained in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. The basic skills of Hospice and Palliative Medicine must truly become the core of medical education focusing on the ‘whole person’ and addressing the totality of the patient’s relational existence – physical, emotional, spiritual, social. Additionally, I would like ambulatory palliative medicine to be a service that is readily available and will fewer social barriers.
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.