Miami, Florida, September 5, 2007—Freddie J. Negron, MD, of Davie, Florida, Senior Medical Director for VITAS Innovative Hospice Care® of Dade-Monroe, has been re-certified by the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (ABHPM). This distinction places Dr. Negron among an elite group of physicians who have met the highest clinical and academic standards of the hospice and palliative medicine specialty.

ABHPM certification is an arduous process that requires a physician to first become board certified in his or her specialty (internal medicine or geriatric medicine, for example). The physician then is expected to meet several clinical criteria, including participating directly in the care of at least 50 terminally ill patients. Finally, the physician must pass a comprehensive written examination.

Dr. Negron also is board certified in internal medicine. He joined VITAS in 1997 as medical director for the VITAS inpatient unit at Memorial Hospital Pembroke in Pembroke Pines, Florida. He was promoted to medical director of the Dade-Monroe program in 2002 and to his current position in 2005. He first achieved ABHPM certification in 2000.

As a VITAS senior medical director, Dr. Negron provides and oversees palliative care and symptom management for terminally ill patients in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. Dr. Negron is an advocate and leader in the community for high quality, ethical end-of-life care.

Prior to joining VITAS, Dr. Negron was in private practice in Albany, Georgia, and Broward County, Florida. He chose hospice and palliative medicine because of strong personal convictions and a passion to serve those in need, he says.

“I became re-certified to validate my pursuit of scholarship and excellence in the practice of hospice and palliative medicine and to be a leader in the field to academic colleagues and the community at large,” he adds.

Dr. Negron began his medical career in the U.S. Army, where he served as chief of the internal medicine department at Redstone Arsenal’s Fox Army Community Hospital. He also was a pulmonary and critical care fellow at Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado, and then was assigned to Landstuhl Army Medical Center in Germany, where he became chief of pulmonary service and pulmonary consultant for the 7th Medical Command in Heidelberg, Germany.

Dr. Negron received his Medical Degree and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Health from the University of Puerto Rico. He completed an internal medicine internship and internal medicine residency at the University of Puerto Rico, University Hospital. In addition, he completed a pulmonary and critical care residency at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado.