Molly E. Collins, MD
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Clinical Locations
Primary Location
Fox Chase Cancer Center
333 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19111
Director of Medical Education, Pain and Palliative Care Program
Assistant Professor, Department of Hematology/Oncology
NCCN, Distress Management Panel Member
Treatment Focus
Supportive and Palliative Care; Cancer Pain Management
Treatment Philosophy
I was incredibly excited to join Fox Chase Cancer Center after completing my fellowship in Hospice & Palliative Medicine in the Harvard Interdisciplinary Program in 2016. Fox Chase has a reputation for excellence in providing innovative, patient-focused cancer care, and I was struck by the warmth of its faculty and staff. It was clear that I would fit in well with the superb interdisciplinary palliative care team, who work hand-in-hand with other clinicians to provide supportive and palliative care while patients pursue top-notch cancer treatments.
I was drawn to a palliative care philosophy from an early age. Helping to care for relatives at home with hospice taught me the importance of a holistic approach to care that relieved symptoms and addressed the family as much as the patient. After studying the history of medicine as an undergraduate and volunteering in a hospice, I knew I would eventually pursue a career in palliative care. During medical school, even as my interest in palliative medicine deepened, I developed a love of outpatient medicine. In particular, primary care championed many of the same principles that I cared about: holistic care, quality of life, respect for autonomy, and communication. This led me to pursue a primary care residency in internal medicine and subsequently work as a primary care physician for several years.
To me, palliative care captures the essence of medicine at its best: we listen carefully to our patients’ values and provide care that best respects these values. As a specialist in palliative care, I partner with patients’ care teams to optimize quality of life by alleviating cancer- and treatment-related symptoms, helping patients and their families navigate tough decisions, and supporting them through serious illness. I am also eager to train the next generation of palliative care clinicians and will be the program director of a Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship beginning in 2018. This work is my calling, and it is a true honor and privilege to help people as they encounter serious illness.
Educational Background
- Fellow, Harvard Interprofessional Palliative Care Program, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 2015-2016
- Intern and Resident, Internal Medicine, Primary Care Program, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2009-2012
- MD, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 2009
- BA, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2004
Certifications
- American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2016
- American Board of Internal Medicine, 2012
Memberships
- American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
- American College of Physicians
Honors & Awards
- Jefferson Ambulatory Attending Award, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 2014
- C. William Hanson II Prize for Outstanding Primary Care Resident, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2012
- Excellence in Care of the Older Adult House Officer Award, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2011
- Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, Harvard Medical School, 2009
Joseph Daly
Joseph Daly
I’m an active guy. I like to fish, play golf, travel, dance, and go off-roading. When something goes wrong, rather than sitting around feeling bad, I do anything in my power to remedy the situation. In 2013, this philosophy was severely tested when I was diagnosed with a rare cancer.
Research Interests
Palliative Medicine; Patient-Physician Communication; Medical Education
Selected Publications
Collins ME, Block SD, Arnold RM, Christakis NA. On the prospects for a blame-free medical culture. Social Science & Medicine. 2009; 69(9): 1287-1290.
Collins ME, Block SD, Arnold RM, Christakis NA. Responsibility and reflection: Understanding our responses to perceived errors. A response to Woodward, Lemer and Wu. Social Science & Medicine. 2009; 69(9): 1294-1295.
Sung AD, Collins ME, Smith, AK, Sanders AM, Quinn MA, Block SD, Arnold RM. Crying: Experiences and attitudes of third year medical students and interns. Teaching & Learning in Medicine. 2009; 21(3): 180-187.
Collins M, Crowley R, Karlawish JHT, Casarett DJ. Are depressed patients more likely to share health care decisions with others? Journal of Palliative Medicine. 2004; 7(4): 527-532.
Clinical Locations
Primary Location
Fox Chase Cancer Center
333 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19111
Director of Medical Education, Pain and Palliative Care Program
Assistant Professor, Department of Hematology/Oncology
NCCN, Distress Management Panel Member
Treatment Focus
Supportive and Palliative Care; Cancer Pain Management
Treatment Philosophy
I was incredibly excited to join Fox Chase Cancer Center after completing my fellowship in Hospice & Palliative Medicine in the Harvard Interdisciplinary Program in 2016. Fox Chase has a reputation for excellence in providing innovative, patient-focused cancer care, and I was struck by the warmth of its faculty and staff. It was clear that I would fit in well with the superb interdisciplinary palliative care team, who work hand-in-hand with other clinicians to provide supportive and palliative care while patients pursue top-notch cancer treatments.
I was drawn to a palliative care philosophy from an early age. Helping to care for relatives at home with hospice taught me the importance of a holistic approach to care that relieved symptoms and addressed the family as much as the patient. After studying the history of medicine as an undergraduate and volunteering in a hospice, I knew I would eventually pursue a career in palliative care. During medical school, even as my interest in palliative medicine deepened, I developed a love of outpatient medicine. In particular, primary care championed many of the same principles that I cared about: holistic care, quality of life, respect for autonomy, and communication. This led me to pursue a primary care residency in internal medicine and subsequently work as a primary care physician for several years.
To me, palliative care captures the essence of medicine at its best: we listen carefully to our patients’ values and provide care that best respects these values. As a specialist in palliative care, I partner with patients’ care teams to optimize quality of life by alleviating cancer- and treatment-related symptoms, helping patients and their families navigate tough decisions, and supporting them through serious illness. I am also eager to train the next generation of palliative care clinicians and will be the program director of a Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship beginning in 2018. This work is my calling, and it is a true honor and privilege to help people as they encounter serious illness.
Education
Educational Background
- Fellow, Harvard Interprofessional Palliative Care Program, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 2015-2016
- Intern and Resident, Internal Medicine, Primary Care Program, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2009-2012
- MD, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 2009
- BA, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2004
Certifications
- American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2016
- American Board of Internal Medicine, 2012
Memberships
- American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
- American College of Physicians
Honors & Awards
- Jefferson Ambulatory Attending Award, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 2014
- C. William Hanson II Prize for Outstanding Primary Care Resident, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2012
- Excellence in Care of the Older Adult House Officer Award, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2011
- Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, Harvard Medical School, 2009
Research Profile
Research Interests
Palliative Medicine; Patient-Physician Communication; Medical Education
Publications
Selected Publications
Collins ME, Block SD, Arnold RM, Christakis NA. On the prospects for a blame-free medical culture. Social Science & Medicine. 2009; 69(9): 1287-1290.
Collins ME, Block SD, Arnold RM, Christakis NA. Responsibility and reflection: Understanding our responses to perceived errors. A response to Woodward, Lemer and Wu. Social Science & Medicine. 2009; 69(9): 1294-1295.
Sung AD, Collins ME, Smith, AK, Sanders AM, Quinn MA, Block SD, Arnold RM. Crying: Experiences and attitudes of third year medical students and interns. Teaching & Learning in Medicine. 2009; 21(3): 180-187.
Collins M, Crowley R, Karlawish JHT, Casarett DJ. Are depressed patients more likely to share health care decisions with others? Journal of Palliative Medicine. 2004; 7(4): 527-532.
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