AAHPM Spring Quarterly : Page 5SPRING 2012 5 Influencing Policy Known for his interests in ethical issues, Dr. Quill and a group of medical and legal colleagues challenged the constitutionality of New York State’s prohibition of physician-assisted death when he served as lead plain-tiff in the landmark Quill v Vacco (1997) decision, heard by a US District Court and later the US Supreme Court. Although the Supreme Court voted 9-0 in favor of the State of New York, Dr. Quill says the case was successful in that it caused the court to formally recognize the value of palliative care in terminal patients, the concerns over accessibility of palliative care for all patients, and the potential need for palliative sedation, even to the point of unconsciousness, for the treatment of terminal suffer-ing. “In retrospect, I think the justices’ decision found the right balance for the time,” he says. Working with Patients, Families, and Colleagues Dr. Quill cites the opportunity to help seriously ill patients and their families as one of the most rewarding aspects of his work. When aggressive treatments fail to produce wished for results and curative treatment options are exhausted, it is often palliative care clinicians who are the last ones standing to help patients and families grap-ple with how best to move forward. It is this complex position that Dr. Quill finds so professionally challeng-ing. “Although it can at times be messy and unsettling, there is something about joining patients and families at what is often a very critical time in their lives that really appeals to me both intellectually and emotionally.” Leading the AAHPM Team As Dr. Quill’s term as AAHPM president begins, he’ll carry with him a rich career of experiences and diverse vignettes of patients who have inspired him to think dif-ferently. He believes that AAHPM’s advocacy efforts to include palliative care in healthcare reform remain one of its most important goals. “There is growing consensus that one of the biggest challenges of healthcare reform is the costs attributable to the sickest patients—especially the costs attributable to treatments of no or marginal benefit,” he says. “This is why our demonstrated ability to improve quality of life, assist with difficult decision making, and decrease the overall costs of patient care make palliative care an obvi-ous inclusion in the healthcare reform bill.” Timothy E. Quill: Quick Facts Education BA, Psychology, Amherst College MD, University of Rochester School of Medicine Specialties Internal Medicine Hospice and Palliative Medicine Current Affiliations đŏ Director, Center for Ethics, Humanities, and Palliative Care, URMC đŏ Director, Palliative Care Program, URMC đŏ Division Head, Palliative Care, URMC Recent AAHPM Activities đŏ Reviewer, UNIPAC 6, 4th edition, 2012 đŏ Editor, Primer of Palliative Care, 5th edition, 2010 đŏ AAHPM Board of Directors (Director at Large, Treasurer, President Elect), 2008-Present đŏ Chair, AAHPM Ethics Committee, 2006-2007 Key Awards đŏ American Medical Writers Association Medical Book Award for A Midwife Through the Dying Process , 1997 đŏ ACP-ASIM William C. Menninger Memorial Award of Distinguished Contributions to the Science of Mental Health, 2003 đŏ AAHPM PDIA Palliative Medicine Community Leadership Award, 2010 In addition to healthcare reform, considering creative ways to attract new clinicians to the field, expanding the research base, and contemplating the benefits and bur-dens of separating hospice from palliative care remain key topics he hopes the Academy will continue to address. Wherever the next year takes AAHPM, Dr. Quill will be ready. His term as president overlaps with a 10-month sabbatical, which will allow him the opportunity to fully participate in emerging AAHPM initiatives, as well as to recharge and spend more time with his wife (whom he met while he worked as a hospice medical director), three daughters (all of whom have found careers in med-icine), grandson, and beloved English Cocker Spaniel, Ollie. Like most busy people, however, he isn’t one to sit idle for long; in fact, bicycling, running, and skiing are VOL. 13 Publication List Using a screen reader? Click Here |
