Faculty
Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship
Palliative Care is integrated throughout Children’s Mercy. The Palliative Care Team (PaCT) met its first patient in May 2002. In 2021, we consulted on >300 new pediatric patients, met >100 women in the Fetal Health Center for prenatal palliative care, and maintained longitudinal relationships with ~650 infants, children and adolescents.
The core Palliative Care Team (PaCT) includes fourHospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship-trained physicians and five certified hospice and palliative nurses.
The core team includes:
Medical Director
Additional Faculty
John Stroh, MD
Kelstan Ellis, DO, MS-CR, MBe
Taylor Jersak, MD
Fellow
Sam Kaplan, MD
Nurse Manager
Kate White
Nurses
Sarah Pearson
Tonja Spencer
Aly Schmidt
Jennifer Fulk
The interdisciplinary team draws upon the patient’s primary social worker, child life specialist, and chaplain.
Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship leadership team
Lori Olson, MD
Program Director
Lolson3@kumc.edu
Emily Hansen, DO
Associate Program Director
ehansen4@kumc.edu
Taylor Jersak, MD
Pediatric Site Director
thjersak@cmh.edu
Cheryl Jacobson
Fellowship Coordinator
(913) 588-0348
cjacobson@kumc.edu