Stephanie Patel, M.D.
Vice President/Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Patel has been the Chief Medical Officer at Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston since 2006. She joined the organization after spending two years as a hospice medical director and palliative care physician in the Fairview Health System in Minneapolis, where she was an integral part of a palliative care consultation service which was designated as a Palliative Care Leadership Center by the Center to Advance Palliative Care and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Dr. Patel completed a hospice and palliative care fellowship at the Good Samaritan Hospital/VA Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ. Prior to that, she spent three years in private practice after completing her family practice residency at Montgomery Hospital in Norristown, PA. She received her medical degree from the Temple University School of Medicine, and completed her undergraduate education at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Dr. Patel is board certified in Family Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine.
Dr. Patel is a member of the medical staffs of Northeast Health Systems, North Shore Medical Canter, Newton Wellesley Hospital, Emerson Hospital, Dana Farber, and Winchester Hospital. Dr. Patel lectures extensively on hospice and palliative care at the local and national level, most recently at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine in Vancouver. Dr. Patel also teaches physicians as part of the Harvard Palliative Care Medicine Fellowship Program.
Robert Warren, M.D.
Assistant Medical Director
Dr. Warren serves as Assistant Medical Director and is the newest member of the physician staff at Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston. Prior to joining our team Dr Warren served as Medical Director at VNA Hospice of Philadelphia for 2.5 years as well as attending physician of the Palliative Care Service at Temple University Hospital. Prior to this Dr. Warren was the Medical Director for Montgomery Hospice and Section Director of Palliative Medicine at Montgomery Hospital in Norristown Pennsylvania for 6 years. Prior to transitioning the focus of his practice to hospice and palliative care Dr. Warren was a practicing family physician and geriatrician for 9 years.
Dr. Warren is board certified in Family Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Care and Geriatrics. Dr. Warren completed his Geriatric Fellowship at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA and his Family Practice Residency at Montgomery Hospital in Norristown, PA. He received his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine and his undergraduate degree from University of Pennsylvania.
Louise A. DePodesta, M.D.
Hospice and Palliative Care Physician
Dr.Louise A. DePodesta joined Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston in 2007 as a Hospice and Palliative Care Physician. With 25 years of medical experience, Dr. DePodesta helps to evaluate and manage palliative and end-of-life care.
Board-certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Dr. DePodesta completed a Hospice and Palliative Care fellowship with Connecticut Hospice. In addition, she is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. A graduate of Allegheny College, she earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She is a member of both Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha honor societies.
Alyssa Luddy, M.D.
Hospice and Palliative Care Physician
Dr. Luddy joined Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston in 2010 after completing a hospice and palliative care fellowship at Oregon Health and Sciences University. She is board certified in Family Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
A graduate of New York Medical College and Villanova University, Dr. Luddy completed her family medicine residency at Beth Israel medical Center in New York City.
Nancy Otovic, M.D.
Hospice and Palliative Care Physician
Dr. Nancy Otovic joined Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston in 2010. She brings along 13 years of clinical experience she acquired while practicing primary care on the North Shore. She also brings combined routine primary care and urgent care experience from two years in the ER at Beverly Hospital. She is a graduate of Merrimack college, received a Master’s in Public Health from Tuft’s University, completed medical school at St. George’s University in Grenada, and has begun a second Master’s degree in medical education. She a board certified in Family Medicine and board eligible for the 2012 Palliative and Hospice sub-specialty board exam.
Our Medical Team
Susan Parker, N.P., GNP-BC, ACHPN
Director of Hospice and Palliative Care
Ms. Parker has been Director of Hospice and Palliative Care Program of the North Shore & Greater Boston since 2010. She brings an extensive background in gerontological nursing, hospice and home health care spanning 30 years. She has held positions as director of day care programs and home health and more recently was a clinical service manager supporting nurse practitioners in long term care, and was instrumental in the start up of a hospice.
She received her BS from Boston University, Masters from the University of Lowell and is currently a doctoral student at the University of Lowell. she is certified as a Gerontological nurse Practitioner and as an Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse.
Joy Arm, NP
Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
Joy Arm is a a Family Nurse Practitioner working in Palliative care for Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston, and has been a nurse for over thirty years. She started her nurse training in Britain as a General Nurse in the community, on to moving to the USA 18 years ago to return to school to obtain her Masters and NP license.
Christine Booth, NP
Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
Mrs. Booth is the Attending Nurse Practitioner at the Kaplan Family Hospice House, and joined Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston in 2008. She has over 25 years of experience caring for people in a variety of settings, and is an expert in pain management and end of life care.
Mrs. Booth is a graduate of the University of Kentucky at Lexington with a post master’s in Family Practice in 2001; the University of Massachusetts Worcester with an MS in the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner track in 1995; the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a BS in Nursing in 1993; and Northern Essex Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing in 1986. Ms. Booth is board certified in Acute Care and Family Practice.
Michelle Doran, NP, APRN, BC, ACHPN
Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
Michelle Doran, APRN, BC, ACHPN re-joined Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston in 2010 after spending two years at North Shore Medical Center providing acute Palliative Care Consultation. Prior to this, she had been at HNSGB from 2003-2008 in the role of Advanced Practice Nurse on the Palliative Care Service and serving as the Attending NP for patients at the Kaplan Family Hospice House. Ms. Doran was instrumental in establishing the Palliative Care Consultation service at HNSGB and NSMC.
Ms. Doran is a graduate of the Boston College Master of Science Program in 2001 and earned her BS in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1996. She is triple board certified as an Adult, Gerontologic and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner. Ms. Doran provides education to nurses on the North Shore and is an ELNEC and HPNA trainer, she also guest lectures at Boston College in the Palliative Care Program and precepts NP students and new graduates.
Catherine Duffy, RN, M.S.N., APRN-BC, ACHPN
Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
Ms. Duffy re-joined Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston’s Hospice and Palliative Care Program in 2010, after spending two years as a Nurse Practitioner at Massachusetts General Hospital with the Palliative Care Unit. From 2006 to 2008 she was employed at Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston as a Registered Nurse Case Manager and a Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner. She is a 2006 graduate of the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions where she received a MSN as an Adult Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, and a 1997 graduate of Skidmore College, where she received a B.A. in Biology. She is board certified since 2009 as an Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse.
Barbara Manning, RN, M.S., ANP-BC
Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
Barbara started at the Essex Agricultural and Technical School graduating with her LPN. She then finished the Associates Degree program at North Shore Community College, earning an Associates Degree in Nursing. She worked for over 30 years in critical care nursing. She returned to school at Northeastern University to complete her education for a Masters of Science Degree with a focus in critical care. She became a board certified Adult Nurse Practitioner in 1999.
Barbara joined Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston in November 2010. She works as a Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner, seeing patients in a variety of settings, managing their symptoms and preventing hospital readmissions. She tries to maintain each individuals independence as long as it is safe to do so, and as long as that is the wish of the patient. She is also involved in end of live planning, assisting patients to make the transition to Hospice when it is appropriate.