Mark Skiba, MD, PhD (2023-24) practiced for twenty years as a hospitalist at Milford Regional Medical Center in Milford, Massachusetts, where he also served as chief of staff. He was inspired by his mentor, a palliative care specialist at Milford Regional, to take the leap and join a new field of medicine later in his career. During his fellowship, Dr. Skiba completed a quality improvement project to promote earlier access to palliative care for hospitalized patients with gynecologic cancers. Dr. Skiba is passionate about growing palliative care for patients at Milford Regional, where he has returned to practice hospital medicine and palliative care.
“My fellowship helped me gain far more command of my communications skills. I learned to engage with patients and families at a much deeper level and allowed me to build trust and have honest, serious conversations. I was better able to treat my patients’ emotional burdens and physical symptoms. During my fellowship, I was surrounded by very skilled and engaged faculty who provided tremendous support throughout my training.” 
Shaun Toomey, MD (2022-23) is a graduate of the UMass Internal Medicine Residency and Pulmonary-Critical Care Fellowship who was drawn to palliative care early in his medical training. During his fellowship year, he completed a research study on the spiritual needs of patients in intensive care settings and presented a poster at the American Thoracic Society’s International Conference in May 2024. Dr. Toomey practices as a UMass critical care specialist and started a new palliative care-pulmonary clinic in 2024.
“The fellowship was one of the most formative years of training in my medical career, professionally and personally. It was such a privilege to learn from and work with our interdisciplinary team. The excellent exposure and incorporation of community-based care, outpatient ambulatory care, and inpatient care provided comprehensive training in all aspects of hospice and palliative medicine, and I felt well prepared as I start my career.”
Elizabeth Manzo, MD (2021-22) worked as a critical care physician in Rhode Island and Massachusetts for 10 years and made the decision to train as a palliative care specialist in 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. During her fellowship year, she co-authored a chapter on symptom management in critically ill patients for the Palliative Care Section of Irwin & Rippe’s Textbook of Intensive Care Medicine (2021 edition). Currently, she practices as a palliative care specialist at Continuum Hospice and Palliative Care Rhode Island.
“The greatest strength of the program is the faculty and multidisciplinary team who are excellent clinicians, educators and role models, and truly committed to the success of the fellows. I was able to care for a wide diversity of patients in different settings and really enjoyed the communication practice sessions with our patient actor. There is an appropriate balance of supervision and autonomy with regular constructive feedback. The environment is supportive, nurturing and inclusive. My year as a fellow was a great experience and I grew both personally and professionally through reflection and increased self-awareness.”