Dr. Hiep Luu Credits Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program With Preparing Him for a Career in Hospice and Palliative Care
Dr. Hiep Luu, a physician with Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County, joined the physician team after completing the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program, which is offered through Kettering Health’s Soin Medical Center and Ohio’s Hospice. He credits the fellowship program with preparing him for a career in hospice and palliative care.
The fellowship program prepares two fellows per year to be compassionate clinicians for patients and families at all stages of complex illness and end-of-life care. The fellowship is a sub-specialty for physicians who recognize the challenges of caring for patients at the end of life, the pressures of cumulative grief, and the art of living with dying.
“I chose to apply to our fellowship program after I completed rotations with Ohio’s Hospice for a month during my residency years,” Dr. Luu said. “I saw how much our hospice and palliative care program was able help patients and the fellowship was able to cater to a fellow’s interest which was unique.”
Dr. Luu said he would recommend the fellowship program to other doctors interested in caring for patients and their families through a vulnerable time in life and learning how to best communicate with them.
“I learned a lot from the program. It really made me grow as a physician as you typically do not see this side of medicine as much. I think the other doctors could also see and appreciate that hospice is not just the final hours and days,” Dr. Luu said. “The program really helped me to be better at communicating with patients and families during this difficult time. I feel like it is an art of its own.”
Dr. Luu was drawn to hospice because of the ability to connect to patients, to spend more time with patients and their families, and to provide quality care that relieves pain and life-limiting symptoms.
“What drew me to the field was being able to slow down and spend time with the patients and families. Sometimes in medicine and in everyday life, things move quickly. It is hard to have the time to sit down and explain everything to patients and families,” Dr. Luu said. “In hospice, we are blessed with the opportunity to spend as much time as we need to help a patient or family in distress. We will not be able to fix their terminal illness, but we are able to manage their symptoms so that they can go for a boat ride, a last family vacation, or go outside as they might have not been able to do any of those things for a long time.”
Dr. Luu began his time with Ohio’s Hospice in palliative care then completed rounds at the Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton Hospice House. He was able to transition to the Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County Hospice House to be closer to family, and he has become the team physician for at-home hospice patients.
“I feel like everyone communicates very well with each other and everyone is helpful and amazing to work with,” Dr. Luu said. “I feel like it is a close family, and everyone helps when it is needed.”
