Sponsored by the MMS
Committee
on Senior Physicians
Brendan Abel, Esq
Director, State Government/Legislative
Counsel
Massachusetts
Medical Society
Brendan directs the state legislative affairs for the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) which represents over 25,000 physicians in the Commonwealth.
He is a faculty affiliate at the Center for Bioethics at the Harvard Medical School. Prior to coming to MMS, Brendan worked in the legal department at Partners Healthcare and was the heath policy researcher at the New England Journal of Medicine
(NEJM). He received his JD from Suffolk University, and a completed a fellowship in Medical Ethics at the Division of Medical Ethics at Harvard Medical School. Brendan has been published in several academic publications including the NEJM and
the Hasting Center Report.
Ellen M. DiPaola, Esq
President & CEO
Honoring Choices
Massachusetts
Ellen is an attorney and co-founder of Honoring Choices
Massachusetts, with a former practice in guardianship and conservatorship and estate planning. She has worked extensively in helping adults and families create personal health care plans as a Respecting Choices Certified Instructor. She is an
appointed member of the MA Department of Public Health Palliative Care & Quality of Life Interdisciplinary Advisory Council and chairs the Health Care Planning and MOLST sub-committee. Ellen is a certified mediator and is an experienced advocate for
the rights of adults with cognitive challenges.
Christine McMichael
Executive Director
Hospice & Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts
Christine has nearly 20 years of experience as
a nonprofit executive, human services professional, licensed counselor
and educator. As the Executive Director of the
Hospice
& Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts
(HPCFM), she is responsible for executive oversight, operations, board
and committee relations, fiscal management and a variety of other
leadership responsibilities. HPCFM is a
not-for-profit membership association founded in 1980. In 2018 alone,
HPCFM member hospices served more than 25,000 patients and their
families.
Christine had served as Assistant Director of HPCFM for two years. She
holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science and Education from
Roger Williams University and a Master of Arts degree in Counseling and
Psychology from Lesley University. She is currently
a doctoral candidate in the Educational Leadership program at Johnson
& Wales University. Additionally, Christine serves on the adjunct
faculty for Bristol Community College in Fall River, Massachusetts.
Asif Merchant, MD, FACP, CMD, CPE
Chair, MMS Committee
on Geriatric Medicine
Dr. Merchant is board-certified in internal medicine, geriatric and palliative care medicine. He is a certified medical director (CMD) and serves as Medical Director at high quality skilled nursing facilities in the greater Boston area. He is also a fellow
of the American College of Physicians and is a Certified Physician Executive (American Association of Physician Leaders).
Dr. Merchant has held several key positions in his career. He was the Chief of Medical Staff and Medical Director of Murray County Medical Center in Slayton, MN. He started the palliative care program at Mount Auburn Medical Center and subsequently led
geriatrics and palliative care at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. He currently runs a large post-acute practice, New England Community
Medical Services, in the greater Boston area.
Dr. Merchant has held faculty appointment at Harvard Medical School and currently is an Associate Clinical Professor at Tufts School of Medicine. He has several publications to his credit. Dr. Merchant served as the President of the Massachusetts and
Rhode Island chapter of AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine and oversaw the merger of the MA and RI chapters. He is Chair of the MMS
Committee on Geriatric Medicine.
Dr. Merchant completed his medical school training at K. J. Somaiya Medical College and graduated from Bombay University. He completed his Internal Medicine residency and Geriatric Medicine fellowship at North Shore University and Long Island Jewish Medical
Center in New York.
Luis Sanchez, MD
Chair, MMS Committee
of Senior Physicians
Alternate Delegate on
the AMA Senior Physicians Section Governing Council
Dr. Sanchez is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and has added qualifications in Addiction Psychiatry.
He was the past Director of Physician Health Services (PHS), a nonprofit 501(c)3 subsidiary of the MMS, for 15 years and continues in an advisory role. PHS has the mission of providing education, support and monitoring for physicians and medical students
with a range of health issues including occupational health challenge, substance use disorders, mental health and medical problems.
Dr. Sanchez was the President of the Federation of State Physician Health Programs from 2005-2009. He currently is the President of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Health and Recovery (IHR), a Cambridge, MA, outpatient treatment program. He
also has a private practice in psychiatry.
Dr. Sanchez is the Chair of the MMS Committee of Senior Physicians member and the Alternate Delegate on the AMA Senior Physicians Section Governing Council.
Click
here for details and
register for the “End-Of-Life Preparation for the Physician in Retirement”
event.
