Barry M. Kinzbrunner, MD, FACP, is executive vice president and chief medical officer for VITAS Innovative Hospice Care®, one of the nation’s oldest and largest providers of end-of-life care. Barry has cared for the terminally ill and their families since 1984. As chief medical officer, he serves as liaison between VITAS’ growing array of hospice programs and community physicians providing hands-on care to more than 11,000 patients each day across the country.

A national leader in defining the role of the hospice medical director, Barry has extensive experience in developing professional performance standards, pain and symptom management guidelines, quality assurance, and hospice and palliative care education. He was involved in the development of a research program and medical education program in hospice and palliative care for third-year medical students enrolled at the University of Miami.

Barry joined VITAS in 1984 as a team physician in the Broward County, Florida program. He was promoted in 1991 to VITAS’ corporate management as national medical director and vice president of clinical research, analysis & audit. He was promoted to senior vice president and chief medical officer in 2004 and to his present position in 2007. In addition to his work at VITAS, Barry is a voluntary consultant in palliative and spiritual care for EDC Eshel in Jerusalem, Israel and a voluntary assistant professor of medicine at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami.

The lead author of the respected hospice textbook 20 Common Problems in End-of-Life Care, Barry has published nearly 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals and authored a chapter on the care of the terminally ill cancer patient for a medical oncology textbook. He has written chapters in a pain management handbook on the treatment of cancer pain and the team approach to pain management.

Barry has made more than 100 presentations before the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), the Institute of Jewish Medical Ethics, the International Hospice Institute, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and other organizations. He has lectured on such topics as non-invasive pain control, the expanding role of the hospice medical director and determining whether a patient is hospice-appropriate. He also served one term on the Board of Directors of AAHPM.

Barry is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology, and hospice and palliative medicine and attained Fellow status with AAHPM in 2005. He has a master’s degree in Jewish studies from Barry University in Miami and was ordained a rabbi in August 2002. Barry received his medical degree at Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, and completed an internal medicine residency at Staten Island Hospital. He completed his fellowship training in medical oncology at Downstate Medical Center.

Rev. October 2007