Frank D. Ferris, MD, FAAHPM, FAACE

About

Frank Ferris is known globally as a trailblazer, a visionary, and an innovator in palliative medicine, research, and education. Early during medical training, he recognized the need, joy, and profound satisfaction that came from being closer to patient treatment and outcomes than a radiology oncology career path offered. A chance encounter with a pharmacy rep just days after Frank devoured an issue of The Medical Clinics of North America in 1986 set in motion a specialty in pain management and education that has transformed countless patients’ chronic illness experience and also touched, in fact, revolutionized treatment for thousands of physicians and clinicians.

His mother’s declaration after his father’s appalling death experience, “…Don’t waste your time being angry at the nursing home. Put your energy into activities that will make the world a better place for the living,” became the grounding compass that continues to frame his palliative and hospice care manifesto and core values. Frank is proud to have been a change agent and part of a paradigm shift to transform deplorable conditions to those that are what patients, their families, and caregivers would hope for.

He has been recognized with a Golden Jubilee Award from Queen Elizabeth II, received both Canadian and American National Leadership Awards, and has been involved in multiple projects noted below that have had significant impacts both domestically and internationally. Frank is particularly interested in educational and research strategies to grow palliative care clinicians and leaders, and advance palliative care globally. He has published and spoken widely on many palliative care subjects, including effective approaches to caring for patients and families, education, and program implementation.

Frank aspires to integrate palliative care early into the treatment of all patients and families experiencing illnesses globally. He hopes you will too!