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Perspectives on COVID-19 and resulting policies KEEPING SIGHT OF THE HUMAN DURING A PANDEMIC; INSIGHTS INTO THE PRESSURES COVID-19 PLACES ON MEDICAL STAFF, PATIENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS
Sami Diab, MD
Stephen Kantor
Sami Diab, MD, CMS President-elect, and Stephen Kantor As a practicing physician in Denver, Colo., Dr. Sami Diab has experienced the impact of COVID-19 both as a front-line medical professional and as a carer. Dr. Diab is an oncologist who is also board certified in hospice and palliative medicine, and has a fellowship in integrative medicine from the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. This education and many years of medical practice help shape and inform his passion for the vital role of hospice and palliative care in patient care. These factors also underpin his knowledge of the substantial empirical evidence of positive patient outcomes and cost savings derived from the effective integration of hospice and palliative care in health care processes. His co-author, Stephen Kantor, has experienced the family impact of COVID-19 as his father passed away in a Denver-area hospital, albeit not directly from COVID-19.
Behind their respective medical cases – behind all medical cases – are vital, valuable human beings.
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