Specializing In:
- Palliative medicine
- Pain management
- Hospice care
- Employee resiliency
- Mental health
- Palliative medicine education
Research Interests:
- Employee wellbeing and resiliency
- Non-medical opioid use
- Buprenorphine for cancer pain
- Psychedelics for mental health and cancer pain
- Medical cannabis for cancer symptoms
- Palliative management of inoperable malignant bowel obstruction
Biography
I am currently the Chief Wellness Officer and Lee Foundation Endowed Chair of the Department of Palliative and Supportive Care at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. I have been in practice for 20 years and at Roswell Park since January of 2016, and I previously served as the Director of Palliative Medicine at the VA Western New York Healthcare System from 2005-20016. In 2005, I started and served as the program director for the University at Buffalo (UB) Palliative Medicine Fellowship until 2017 and then reassumed this role in 2024. This fellowship program graduates four palliative medicine fellows annually. I am a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at UB.
I completed a residency in internal medicine at the University at Buffalo in 2004 and went on to complete a fellowship in Palliative and Pain Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York (2004-2005). I was initially board certified in Pain Medicine and have maintained board certification in Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine board certification.
I am proud of the organizational programs I have built and continue to lead including the large Department of Supportive and Palliative Care with six divisions, Palliative Medicine, Older Adult Oncology and Bioethics, Spiritual Care, Psychology, Psychiatry, Employee Resiliency and a Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship.
I have several published articles, including peer-reviewed, grant funded, clinical research, book chapters and review articles. My scholarly focus is on employee and health care worker wellbeing and resiliency, medical cannabis and psychedelics for cancer symptoms, the palliation of inoperable malignant bowel obstruction, non-medical opioid use, buprenorphine for cancer pain, and palliative medicine education. I have given many lectures, presentations and grand rounds locally and have been invited internationally and nationally to speak on palliative and pain topics.
I mentor faculty and junior leaders/colleagues, teach medical students, residents, and fellows daily. I also serve as Associate Editor of Education for the top read journal in palliative medicine, The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. I am an active member in the American Academic of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) and have chaired the Education and Fellowship Director Special Interest Groups. I am a member of the Palliative Care Research Collaborative and Allied Designated Cancer Center Improving Goal Concordant Care IGCC and Palliative Care National Workgroups.
Positions
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Chief Wellness Officer
- Professor of Oncology
- Chair – Department of Supportive and Palliative Care
- Lee Foundation Endowed Chair of the Department of Supportive and Palliative Care
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo
- Professor of Medicine
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine
- Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program Director, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine
Background
Education and Training
- 2001 - MD - State University of New York at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY
Residency
- 2004 - Internal Medicine - State University of New York at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY
Fellowship
- 2005 - Pain and Palliative Medicine - Beth Israel Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New York, NY
Board Certification
- Internal Medicine
- Hospice and Palliative Medicine
- Pain Medicine
Professional Memberships
- 2023-Present - Member, Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer
- 2023-Present - Grant Committee Member and Board Member, Patrick Lee Foundation
- 2022 - Member, American Medical Association (AMA)
- 2019-Present - Alliance of Designated Cancer Centers (ADCC) National Supportive Oncology Committee
- 2018- Present - Palliative Care Research Collaborative
- 2018-Present - Member, Gratwick Society
- 2016-Present - National Comprehensive Cancer Care Network (NCCN) Panel Palliative Care Committee
- 2015-Present - Nominated as fellow of American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (FAAHPM)
- 2015-Present - Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) Member
- 2011-2013-Palliative Care Leadership Center (PCLC) in collaboration with The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC)
- 2011-Present - American College of Physicians (ACP)
- 2004-Present - American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM)
Professional Experience
- 2022-present - Clinical Professor of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Faculty, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine UB Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY
- 2017-2022 - Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Faculty, UB Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY
- 2014-2017 - Associate Professor of Medicine, SUNY at Buffalo Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program Director, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
- 9/2015-1/2016 - UB/MD Associate Program Director/VA Site Director UB Internal Medicine Residency Program
- 7/2005-6/2014 - Assistant Professor of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program Director, Division of Palliative Medicine, SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
- 7/2005-1/2016 - Director of Palliative Medicine, Geriatrics and Extended Care Veterans Administration Western New York Healthcare System
Honors & Awards
- 2004-Present - American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM)
- 2004-Present - American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM)
- 2024 - Buffalo Business First Wellness Champion 2024
- 2018-2024 - Buffalo Spree Top Docs
- 2023 - Exceptional Women in Medicine Award, Castle Connolly
- 2017, 2021-2023 - Castle Connolly Top Doctor
- 2017 - Named Patrick Warn Lee Endowed Chair Department of Palliative Care
- 2015 - First annual “Program Director of Excellence” award. Given out by UB GME
- 2012 - VA Service Award, for 10 years of employment at the VA, VAWNYHS
- 2012 - SUNY at Buffalo (UB) Graduate Medicine Education (GME) Award for Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), 5-yr accreditation cycle, no citations for Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellowship for which I serve as program director
- 2009 - UB GME award, for ACGME accreditation maximum number of year cycle for the new program, the UB Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship
- 2008 - Certificate of Recognition VAWNYHS National Under Secretary for Health Customer Service Unit Level Award, for helping to lead Planetree culture change by example
- 2006 - Special Contribution Award, Given by Michael Finegan, Director of VAWNYHS, for a unique contribution to the mission of the department
- 2005 - Certificate of Appreciation, VAWNYHS GEC careline manager for presenting a lecture, Overview of Palliative Medicine.
- 2002 - Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award, Arnold P. Gold Foundation
- 2002 - Intern of the year (Lawrence H. Golden Award), For combining humanistic attributes with a scientific approach to patient care
- 2001 - Harry E. and Loretta A. Jordan Award for Investigation in Neoplastic Disease
Research Overview
We study the use of cannabis and psychedelics in humans who have cancer symptoms. Our labs and teams are below:
https://www.roswellpark.org/research/psychedelic-science-initiative
https://www.roswellpark.org/research/translational-research-cannabis-ca…
Featured on CancerTalk
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Publications
Tomy M, Alexander W, Gupta S, Schaefer D, Case AA. Adjunctive Intranasal Esketamine for Comorbid Treatment-Resistant Depression with Suicidal Ideation in Patients Receiving Palliative Care at a Comprehensive Cancer Center: A Case Series. J Palliat Med. 2024 Aug 7;. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2024.0040.
Davis MP, Davies A, McPherson ML, Reddy A, Paice JA, Roeland E, Walsh D, Mercadante S, Case A, Arnold R, Satomi E, Crawford G, Bruera E, Ripamonti C. Opioid analgesic dose and route conversion ratio studies: a scoping review to inform an eDelphi guideline. Support Care Cancer.
Walter M, Hansen E, Hamid S, Carozza D, Mann G, Roche C, George A, Attwood K, Case A. Palliative Management of Inoperable Malignant Bowel Obstruction: Prospective, Open Label, Phase 2 Study at an NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2024 Jan;67(1):20-26. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2023.09.014.
De Feo G, Case AA, Crawford GB, Hui D, To J, Sbrana A, Alderman B, Mukhopadhyay S, Bouleuc C, Amano K, Tanco K, Garsed J, Davis M. Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) guidelines: cannabis for psychological symptoms including insomnia, anxiety, and depression. Support Care Cancer. 2023 Feb 21;31(3):176. doi: 10.1007/s00520-023-07628-3. Review. PubMed PMID: 36809575.
Case AA, Walter M, Pailler M, Stevens L, Hansen E. A Practical Approach to Nonmedical Opioid Use in Palliative Care Patients With Cancer: Using the PARTNERS Framework. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2020 Dec;60(6):1253-1259.
Hansen E, Nadagoundla C, Wang C, Miller A, Case AA. Buprenorphine for Cancer Pain in Patients With Nonmedical Opioid Use: A Retrospective Study at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2020 May;37(5):350-353. doi: 10.1177/1049909119884358. Epub 2019 Nov 7.