AAHPM reached out to the 2024 Visionaries to gain insight into what motivated them to pursue leadership positions and what they find more fulfilling in their experiences. Elizabeth Glazier, MD MPH FACP has been recognized as one of the exceptional individuals chosen as a 2024 AAHPM Visionaries in Hospice and Palliative Care.
Who has most influenced your work and how have they shaped your contributions?
I have been very influenced by my work with Dr. Dana Lustbader. Dana and I met long ago when we both did the PCEP program together in Boston. At that time, we had both started programs in community based palliative care and I was inspired by her work at ProHealth. She was able to build a program from the ground up and navigate the challenges of a value based world. During long walks together at different conferences over the years or just being able to call her anytime, she has been a mentor for me and many others in this field. She not only mentored me as a leader, but also as a female physician, mother and friend. I am grateful for befriending her years ago and I appreciate her continued guidance.
What is the significance to you of being recognized as a “Visionary” in Hospice and Palliative Medicine?
This has been a difficult journey. Starting a community based palliative care program in a non-academic, insurance-based setting has been challenging. My practice grew quickly from offering services in the home in one city, to running programs in 16 different cities across Florida, Texas and New Mexico. At the time, the vision to offer better care for patients with advanced illness in the comfort of their homes was relatively new. There were many stakeholders to win over, first and foremost, the patients and their families, but also proving value to the company leadership was a close second. Taking a vision and making it a reality and helping over 65,000 patients in their homes is humbling. It takes a great team of individuals who call this their mission and their calling to realize the vision. I am indebted to my team members and to WellMed for supporting me in this vision and for taking a chance on a new idea and a new care delivery opportunity.
What is your aspiration for the evolution of hospice and Palliative Medicine?
I would like to see us be able to prove our value on a national scale in a more consistent and uniform process. It is difficult to scale and grow programs when you have to justify costs that didn’t happen due to your good care. This truly is the right care for the right patient at the right time by the right team, it is just the right thing to do. I would love our community to not have to justify our existence but to be able to share our value more easily so that patients, families and others jump at the opportunity to do the right thing for our patients in offering Palliative Care in all settings.
Learn more about the AAHPM 2024 Visionaries in Hospice and Palliative Care and view a full list of all current and past Visionaries.