Physician Education
Hospice care has moved from an alternative that developed outside of standard medicine to being a scientifically proven and essential element of good medical care. Most hospice care is provided in a patient’s home and is fundamentally different than care provided in hospitals or outpatient offices. It follows that physicians should experience in-home hospice care during their medical training.
The Elizabeth Hospice is proud to be a teaching affiliate of the UCSD School of Medicine, UCSD Health, Scripps Health, and numerous other medical schools and residency training programs in the US and globally.
Medical Education occurs in 3 steps:
- Medical School. Four years of education following four years of undergraduate education. The first two years are spent mainly in the classroom learning the science of medicine. The last two years are spent in clinical clerkships where they learn to apply science to the art of direct patient care.
- Residency Training. 3-5 years of mentored practice in a specialty.
- Fellowship Training. 1-3 years of mentored practice in a subspecialty.
Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellows 2025 – 2026
April Butler, MD
April Butler is a graduate of the University of Louisville School of Medicine and is currently a chief resident at UC San Diego, where she completed her residency in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, playing golf, and ice cream.
“Keeping patient dignity and humanity at the center of care and forming partnerships with patients and their families anchored me during my residency, and I want to continue to be a part of a field that provides personalized, patient-centered care. I am excited to become a part of a multidisciplinary team with the goal that embodies medicine to me: doing what is best for the patient.”
Errica Capossela, DO, MS
Errica Capossela attended the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed a residency in Pediatrics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center at Northwell Health. She is currently a fellow in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at UC San Diego and Rady Children’s. Her hobbies include snowboarding, yoga, baking, and knitting.
“I recognize now more than ever how we as a medical community need more physicians trained in palliative care, especially in pediatrics. To this day, functioning in a palliative care role is one of the few positions in which I have been struck with the sense that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.”
Zachary Fica, MD
Zachary Fica earned an MD from the University of Utah and is currently a chief resident in Emergency Medicine at UC San Diego. He enjoys birding, triathlons, and games like Dungeons and Dragons.
“As a physician, the most rewarding part of my job is when I can help people in their lowest and most vulnerable moments. Sometimes, that means using knowledge and technical skills to cure their disease or manage their symptoms. But most often, helping people means being a compassionate caretaker who is willing to listen, witness, and be present and honest. The opportunities I’ve had to help my patients in that way remind me why I chose healthcare and why I want to continue my training in Hospice and Palliative Medicine.”
Alban Holyoke, MD
Alban Holyoke graduated from Wright State University School of Medicine and completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Yale. He is currently an Emergency Physician in the Bay Area at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and Kaiser Redwood City. His hobbies range from fly fishing to sailing to pinball.
“I want to cultivate the skills to treat patients’ symptoms, but also help them understand their own humanity and hopefully gain new understanding of my own human experience. It is an exciting time to be in medicine with advances in medications, devices and new technology, but medicine at its core is about people, suffering, and our humanity, and that is what I am seeking in palliative care.”
Sawyer Kieffer, MD
Sawyer Kieffer completed his medical education at the University of Iowa and is currently an Internal Medicine resident at Thomas Jefferson University. Outside of work, he enjoys woodworking, rock climbing, and cycling.
“Working with [patients with serious illness] made me realize that I am even more passionate about another side of medicine- the side that’s not about curing and fixing and diagnosing and doing, the side that honors the true privilege of caring for another human by providing physical and psychological comfort during serious illness and the most vulnerable transition from life to death.”
Michael McEnany, MD
Michael McEnany attended Wake Forest University’s School of Medicine and completed his residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of New Mexico. He is currently an Emergency Medicine physician at Northern Inyo Hospital in Bishop, CA. His interests include connecting with the natural world and learning to play the fiddle.
“The methods and goals of hospice and palliative care, to me, represent the core of medicine. Listening with patience, responding to vulnerability with compassion, addressing the origins and continuance of suffering, while openly and bravely discussing the existential nature and threat of illness are all aspects of medicine that I strive to embody.”
Michelle Quan, MD
Michelle Quan graduated from UCLA’s School of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine residency at UC Davis, where she was a chief resident. She is currently the Medical Director of the Internal Medicine Pre-Operative Services at UC Davis. Outside of work, she enjoys pottery, graphic design, basketball, and baking.
“I am pursuing a fellowship in palliative care because it offers the opportunity to provide comprehensive emotional and physical care. It allows me to continue advocating for patients, ensuring they receive the support and dignity they deserve as they navigate life’s most challenging and uncertain moments.”
Kim Winiker, MD
Kim Winiker earned his MD from the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine and is currently a chief resident at the University of Pittsburgh in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics. His hobbies include skiing, yoga and meditation, ultimate Frisbee, and travel.
“In residency, I gravitated toward interactions with the sickest patients, learning about their hopes, passions, and fears, and using these connections to guide my clinical decision-making. I resolved to pursue a career in Palliative Medicine to continue providing care to this complex patient population. I have seen skillful and kind palliative physicians lead patients and families through harrowing circumstances to deeply meaningful outcomes.”
Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellows 2026 – 2027
Alison Aronstam, MD, MS
Ali Aronstam graduated from UCSF’s School of Medicine and is currently completing her Internal Medicine residency at the same institution. She also has an MS in Medicine and Public Health from UC Berkeley. In her free time, she enjoys baseball (especially listening to SF Giants games on the radio), hiking and biking, and reading.
“Through both direct patient care and systems level work, I aspire to expand the reach of palliative care into communities that have not had ready access to the service… as I near the end of residency, I come away with a deep appreciation for the impact that a palliative care provider can have as a clinician, educator and advocate.”
Han Bao, MBBS, MA
Han Bao completed her medical education at Nanjing Medical University in China and has earned an MA in Healthcare Ethics from St. Joseph’s University and an MBA from Goldey‐Beacom College. She is currently a resident in Internal Medicine at Jacobi Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. Her hobbies include hosting tea ceremonies, fishing, and collecting stones.
“My residency caring for diverse patients with complex illnesses cemented my passion for palliative care. Leading early GOC conversations in high‐stakes situations, I've seen how proactive communication reduces conflict and family distress. Cultural, religious, and health literacy differences often shape difficult reactions to bad news.”
Kevin Han, MBBS
Kevin Han is a graduate of Shanghai Medical College at Fudan University in China and a current resident in Internal Medicine at SUNY Downstate in New York City. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking Asian fusion cuisine and caring for his pets (which include a puppy, tortoise, gecko, and tree frogs).
“I realized that healing isn't only measured by shrinking tumors, but also by the presence of a listening ear and a compassionate heart and a willingness to advocate for the whole person. These are values I hope to carry forward and refine through further training.”
Susan Kennedy, MD
Susie Kennedy attended UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Medicine and is currently a resident in Emergency Medicine at the same institution. Her hobbies range from skateboarding to surfing to trail running; she was previously a hairdresser and salon owner.
“During my palliative elective in residency, time slowed. There was time to ask questions around priorities, to gauge understanding, and to explore a person's hopes and fears. I began learning the tools to alleviate suffering…I hope to be the provider that gets to stay in the room, to hold space for the big emotions, whether they be grief, frustration, joy, or relief.”
Justin Nathan, MD, MA
Justin Nathan earned his MD from New York Medical College, as well as an MA in Health Justice and Bioethics from Temple University. He is currently an Internal Medicine resident at Temple University. His interests include music (especially folk and Americana), reading, backpacking, and weight lifting.
“I have come to recognize that helping people to understand their diseases and prognoses as well as advocating for their goal‐concordant care is what drives me most. I am especially drawn towards helping those unable to advocate for themselves, due to their illness, poor health literacy, or systemic barriers. It is through the lens of palliative care that I believe I can make my greatest impact.”
Katrina Sadang, MD, MPH
Katrina Sadang completed her medical education at UCSF’s School of Medicine and an MPH from Harvard. She is currently a Chief Resident in Family Medicine at Lifelong Medical Care in Richmond, CA. Outside of work, she enjoys hula dancing, singing karaoke, and watching musicals.
“I hope to both practice palliative care and bring a palliative care lens to my outpatient primary care practice. I have particular interest in early integrated palliative care since I believe primary care is an ideal setting to engage patients in palliative care before they present to higher acuity settings such as hospitals or skilled nursing facilities. After fellowship I hope to expand access to palliative care services to underserved communities, including low‐income patients and Spanish‐speaking Latinx patients.”
Jamee Schoephoerster, MD
Jamee Schoephoerster is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School and a current third‐year resident in General Surgery at Oregon Health and Sciences University. In her free time, she enjoys ceramics, Nordic skiing, and building furniture for her future house.
“My decision to pursue a palliative care fellowship reflects my deep commitment to improving surgical care as a whole. I want to master advanced communication and symptom management skills, become an educator in this space, and serve as a bridge between two historically displaced disciplines. I hope to be part of the broader movement working toward a surgical culture that equally prioritizes both technical excellence and compassionate, patient‐centered care.”
Elaine Yan, MD, MS
Elaine Yan earned her MD from Georgetown University, as well as an MS in Biophysics and Physiology from the same institution. She is currently an Internal Medicine resident at NewYork‐Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Her interests range from yoga and meditation to Bay Area sports teams to trying new restaurants.
“When I reflect on my why in medicine, I often return to the bedside moments I share with patients who are living with serious illnesses, and the ways I work to uphold their dignity at the end of life. Looking to the future, I envision myself working in a multidisciplinary outpatient setting and providing quality palliative care early in patients' disease courses, maintaining transparency of disease prognosis in a culturally competent manner. I want to support patients in navigating serious illnesses, returning agency to patients by engaging them in advance care planning as they near the end of life.”
UCSD Medical School 401
The UCSD School of Medicine requires all medical students in their fourth year to spend clinical time with a hospice program. Currently, about half of the students do their clerkship with The Elizabeth Hospice.
Residency Programs
Scripps Mercy Hospital Internal Medicine requires its residents to spend clinical time with The Elizabeth Hospice.
The Family Medicine Residency Program of the Southwest Healthcare Medical Education Consortium in Temecula and Murrieta offer their physicians an opportunity to experience outpatient palliative care firsthand through a clinical training experience with The Elizabeth Hospice.
We welcome individual residents from various training programs who request to spend clinical time with our physicians and hospice teams.
Fellowship Program
The Elizabeth Hospice participates in the joint UCSD/Scripps Fellowship Program in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. It is one of the largest in the country, with eight physician fellows participating in the one-year training program that starts on July 1 each year. They divide their training between subspecialty consultation services in the hospitals of UCSD and Scripps, the ambulatory outpatient clinics at UCSD and Scripps, and hospice care. Many of these physicians go on to practice in the region.