Susan D. Block, MD is the Chair
of the Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care at
Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women's Hospital and Co-Director of the
Harvard Medical School Center for Palliative Care, a national
center of excellence in palliative care education. Dr. Block
received her AB from Stanford University, her MD from Case Western
Reserve University School of Medicine, and completed residencies in
both internal medicine and psychiatry at Beth Israel Hospital in
Boston. She is board-certified in both fields and in palliative
medicine.
Throughout her career, Dr. Block has had a strong interest in
improving care of patients with life-threatening illness and in
medical education reform. She has been a leader in the development
of the field of Palliative Medicine nationally and has been
responsible for the development of innovative educational programs
for medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty. She runs
national and international faculty development programs for
palliative care clinicians, is active in research focused on mental
health, communication, and cancer outcomes, and on medical
education, serves on the Board of Directors of the American Academy
of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, is the recipient of numerous
awards for teaching, mentoring, and research, and has led the
development of palliative care and psycho-oncology services at DFCI
and BWH.
