Program Director Welcome

I invite you to explore our website and apply to become the next graduate of our Hospice and Palliative Medicine Program.  

Grounded in a rich history from Bluegrass Care Navigators, formerly Hospice of the Bluegrass, and thanks to the vision of Todd Cote,  MD, this fellowship program has a deep history in community and care for people living in the Commonwealth. With the support of Kristy Deep, MD, the University of Kentucky founded its Division of Palliative and Supportive Care in 2016. Jessica McFarlin, MD, partnered with BCN to promote fellowship education, and since 2024 it has been housed at UK with continued generous support from BCN to provide two fellowship positions each year.  

Our fellows experience the boons of community and academic practice with a wide range of clinical exposure inpatient and in the ambulatory setting.  

Our strengths include a robust interdisciplinary team with inpatient and outpatient dedicated IDTs including nurses, chaplains, clinical pharmacists, clinical social workers, APPs, and physicians.  

Caring for Kentuckians means meeting people where they are. We often have patients traveling from hours away, typically serving folks who live in central and eastern Kentucky,  and even people who live in West Virginia or Ohio, along the borders. We are a well-established program, routinely receiving referrals for consults from our medical, surgical, neurosurgical ICUs as well as from our hospitalist, Cardiology, Neurology, Oncology, and Addiction services. Our clinic is embedded in the UK Markey Cancer Center. Fellows care for patients along the continuum of care: in the hospital to the clinic or inpatient hospice unit, and vice versa.  

In addition to clinical experience, our fellows participate in weekly didactics through core curriculum, monthly division grand rounds, journal club, teaching other learners on rotation, and a scholarly project. This fellowship focuses on creating well-rounded, balanced fellow education aimed at supporting graduates in whatever future career they choose.  

Finally, our program is fortunate to have so many faculty who love what we do – we are proud to be at UK, supporting each other’s clinical work, leadership, and growth. We are here to promote person-centered care in the clinical realm and to focus on fellow education for this program. We also recognize the value of self care, wellness, and thriving as our authentic selves. Graduating from this one-year fellowship program means being a part of the HPM physicians across the country as UK alumni. We look forward to meeting you soon and hopefully having you as one of our next successful HPM Fellows! 

Anna K. Dauer, MD
Program Director
Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship