Dr. Rick Greene: Integrating Palliative Care into Surgical Oncology

The Surgical Palliative Care Podcast

#016 - Join host Dr. Red Hoffman as she interviews Dr. Rick Greene, a surgical oncologist and a champion of palliative care for surgical oncology patients. Rick currently serves as the medical director of the Cancer Data Registry at the Levine Cancer Institute in North Carolina. As a past president (and founding member) of SAGES, past president of the Southeastern Surgical Society, past chair of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, past chair of the American Joint Committee on Cancer and past Chair of Surgery at Carolinas Medical Center, Rick can certainly be described as accomplished. However, what is perhaps even more striking about Rick is how thoughtful and insightful he is, about both medicine and life. In this episode, he shares his early experiences as a young surgeon aboard the USS Nimitz and discusses the influence of beshart (a Yiddish word which means inevitable or preordained) in his life. Rick also offers his advice on how best to approach and talk about surgical complications. Lastly, he discusses how important it is for surgeons to plan for life after surgery and recounts the necessity of always reinventing oneself (Rick is a writer and a radio host!)
Articles discussed in the episode:
Patient Loss: Surgeons Describe How They Cope
The Joys of Creative Writing
Check out The Recovery Room, a podcast hosted by Dr. Greene and supported by the American College of Surgeons here.
To learn more about the surgical palliative care community, visit us on twitter @surgpallcare.