JourneyCare just announced today that Nationally recognized hospice and palliative care expert Martha L. Twaddle, M.D. has contracted with the community based, non-profit organization as Senior Vice President of Medical Excellence and Innovation.
In this new position, Dr. Twaddle will work jointly with JourneyCare’s CEO Sarah Bealles to provide strategic leadership, advance quality and clinical innovation, forge new strategic relationships and build a high performing medical team to further JourneyCare’s mission.
“Dr. Twaddle is truly a pioneer in the hospice and palliative care movement,” said Bealles. “She has been instrumental in developing palliative care into a medical subspecialty, and helped strengthen the understanding of and access to hospice and palliative medicine nationally. JourneyCare is truly honored to be a part of the next chapter of Dr. Twaddle’s distinguished career.”
Dr. Twaddle, voted one of the most influential leaders in hospice and palliative medicine in a 2013 poll conducted by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), believes palliative medicine has a unique opportunity now to reach outward and further upstream to improve the lives of people living with advanced illness.
“I am excited to work with JourneyCare toward our shared vision. They are innovative, compassionate and committed to excellence,” Dr. Twaddle said. “JourneyCare’s expertise and experience in effectively implementing diverse models of care will be key to expanding access to palliative medicine in the Chicago area.”
After 25 years of dedicated service to Midwest CareCenter, Dr. Twaddle is launching a palliative innovation practice, lending her expertise and vast experience to strengthen and define palliative care’s role in the transforming healthcare system…
Dr. Twaddle’s work, both locally and nationally, will focus on developing effective palliative care models that best serve patients and families across all care settings. She will partner with select healthcare organizations, including JourneyCare and Midwest CareCenter, to develop these innovative models focusing on meeting the needs of people with advanced illness. Palliative Medicine is known to effectively improve quality of care while also reducing total healthcare costs. Leaders in palliative medicine, such as Dr. Twaddle, are increasingly being asked to innovate in developing patient and family centered models of care delivery.
Dr. Twaddle earned her medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, and completed a residency in internal medicine through Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where she was chief resident and currently serves as an Associate Professor of Medicine. She is board-certified in internal medicine and hospice and palliative medicine.
JourneyCare provides compassionate end-of-life care, pain and symptom management to 900 patients a day in ten Illinois counties making every moment count for those touched by serious illness and loss.
