Hospice Appoints New Medical Director

Dr. Elizabeth M. Strauch has been appointed medical director of the Hospice at the Texas Medical Center. Dr. Strauch replaces Dr. Porter Storey who served as the first medical director at the Hospice, established in 1983. With nine years of experience at the Hospice, Dr. Strauch brings a wealth of clinical experience to build upon the Hospice's longtime reputation for quality and compassionate care for terminally ill patients in the Greater Houston Community.

Dr. Strauch's interest in caring for terminally ill patients began in the late 1980s, during her residency program in internal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. She was at once drawn to the specialty of oncology - particularly pain and symptom control during treatment.

While completing her residency in 1991, Dr. Strauch learned of a one-year fellowship training program, offered by the Hospice at the Texas Medical Center and M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, in the emerging field of palliative medicine. Pursuing a desire to serve terminally ill patients and improve their quality of life, she applied for and was subsequently selected as the program's first Fellow. This experience allowed her to develop skill in treating a variety of symptoms, including severe pain. Her training focused not only on relieving physical discomfort, but also on addressing patients' questions and concerns and working with a multidisciplinary team to enhance total patient care.

After completing her fellowship in 1992, Dr. Strauch accepted a position at the Hospice as staff physician, where she began caring for a wider variety of patients with terminal conditions, including end-stage heart, lung, kidney and brain diseases, HIV, and congenital anomalies.

In 1996, she was among the first physicians in the United States to be board certified in palliative care. She quickly came to realize that while there was a growing acceptance and understanding of the tenets of hospice care in the medical community and general public, there were also many barriers to its widespread use.

"There are still misconceptions about palliative care," Dr. Strauch notes. "While palliative care does not treat to prolong life, neither is its purpose to hasten death. Instead, we strive to manage the patient's physical symptoms while easing anxiety and providing reassurance and support to both the patients and their families."

Nearly 85 percent of Hospice patients are provided care by their loved ones in their own homes. This is made possible through careful collaboration with a specially trained multidisciplinary team consisting of hospice physicians, home care nurses, social workers, chaplains, and volunteers. The team addresses not only the physical but also the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families.

For patients with acute pain symptoms or for families who are in need of respite care, the Hospice opened the only free-standing inpatient hospice facility in the Southwest. Opened in 1995 and located in the Texas Medical Center, this 25-bed facility stands alongside the former home of Houston Mayor Oscar Holcombe, which now serves as the Hospice's administration building. The facility has become an invaluable haven for thousands of the Hospice's patients and their families facing end-of-life situations. The inpatient facility exudes a feeling of warmth and serenity, with hallways adorned with donated handmade quilts, and rooms large enough to accommodate numerous visitors at one time as well as overnight guests. The peaceful setting is sumptuously landscaped with huge oak trees, flowering hedges and other foliage, walking paths, and teak benches, offering welcomed respite and comfort to anyone in its midst.

After nine years of service as a highly skilled palliative care physician, Dr. Strauch recognizes she has an opportunity to play a more significant role in determining the future direction and goals of the Hospice.

"I strongly believe in the Hospice philosophy and it is a privilege to now serve as medical director," she says. "We are entering an exciting time of growth and change. I enjoy being more involved in administration and education, and I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to our future as an organization."

For more information about the Hospice at the Texas Medical Center, call (713) 467-7423.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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