Irvine, California, September 17, 2007—Vincent D. Nguyen, DO, CMD, of Santa Ana, Medical Director for VITAS Innovative Hospice Care® of Orange County, has been re-certified by the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (ABHPM). This distinction places Dr. Nguyen among an elite group of physicians who have met the highest clinical and academic standards of the hospice and palliative medicine specialty. Dr. Nguyen was first board certified in hospice and palliative care medicine in 1999. He also is board certified in Family Practice & Geriatrics Medicine and is a Certified Medical Director (CMD).

As a VITAS medical director, Dr. Nguyen provides and oversees palliative care and symptom management for terminally ill patients in Orange County and educates healthcare professionals and physicians on the benefits of hospice care. He also serves as the Associate Medical Director of Inpatient Services for Monarch HealthCare in Irvine.

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.

“Hospice and palliative medicine is about more than pain management and bedside manner; it embraces an entire medical discipline,” says Dr. Nguyen. “Board certification in hospice and palliative medicine is basically a seal of approval. Patients and families can feel confident that a board-certified physician understands this specialty.”

Dr. Nguyen joined VITAS in 1994 as medical director of the Los Angeles and Ventura County program. He also has served as medical director of VITAS’ Coastal Cities program. He was named to the prestigious VITAS Leadership Council in 2006.

Dr. Nguyen co-authored “How to Inform the Patient: Conveying Bad News,” a chapter in the book 20 Common Problems in End-of-Life Care by Barry Kinzbrunner, MD, VITAS Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. He also has authored several articles on end-of-life care for Vietnamese-language periodicals.

Dr. Nguyen received his doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California. He completed an internship and a residency in family practice at Pacific Hospital of Long Beach, California. He served as a medical officer for the United States Army National Guard from 1990 to 2001.

About Hospice
Because hospice is not a “place” as many believe, VITAS caregivers make visits throughout the community to care for patients in their own home, in nursing homes, and in assisted living communities. Hospice is provided in the home to better provide comfort, pain control and symptom management for a patient at the end of life. In fact, recent research published by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization found that most Americans would prefer to receive end-of-life care at home and think hospice professionals are the most knowledgeable in helping them do so.