This is unpublished

Susan
Merel
MD
FACP

Susan Merel
Leadership
Faculty
Hospitalist
Pinned
Academic
Professor
Professional
Section Head, UW Medical Center - Montlake
Director of Education, Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence
Associate Clerkship Director for Explore and Focus Phase, Department of Medicine

Education & Training 

  • MD, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL (2005)
  • Residency in Internal Medicine, Primary Care Track, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (2005–2008)
  • Fellow, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (2008–2009)

Honors

  • Award for Excellence in Clinician Education, SGIM Northwest Region (2016)
  • Fellow, American College of Physicians (2018)

research & clinical interests

  • Geriatri medicine and palliative care
  • Improving the care of hospitalized older adults
  • Improving physician-patient communication
  • Teaching serious illness communication to learners at all levels including practicing physicians
  • Equity in academic medicine

publication highlights

  • Labella AM, Merel SE, Phelan EA.  Ten Ways To Improve the Care of Elderly Patients in the Hospital. J Hosp Med. 2011 Jul-Aug; 6(6): 351-357. PMID 21834118

  • Merel SE, Stafford MM†, White AA, Fligner CF, Amory JK, Hagman MM. Providers’ Beliefs About Expressing Condolences to the Family of a Deceased Patient: A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis. J Palliat Med. 2015 Mar; 18(3): 217-24. PMID 2543629

  • Merel SE, McKinney CM, Ufkes P†, Kwan AC†, White AA. Sitting at patients’ bedsides may improve patients’ perceptions of physician communication skills. J Hosp Med. 2016 Dec; 11(12): 865-868. PMID 273786679

  • Merel SE, Paauw DS. Common drug side effects and drug-drug interactions in elderly patients in primary care. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2017 July; 65(7):1578-86. PMID 28326532

  • Merel SE, Gaster B. Advance Directives for Dementia Can Elicit Preferences to Improve Patient Care. J Am Geriatr Soc 2020 Jul;68(7)1606-8. PMID 32374417

  • Merel SE, Spiker M, Stack SW, Paauw DS. “Tell Me More:” Practicing Primary Palliative Care Skills in a Large, Multi-State Internal Medicine Clerkship. J Palliat Med. 2021 Feb;24(2):261-6. PMID 32407163

  • Holmberg MH†, dela Cruz E†, Longino A†, Longino N†, Çoruh B, Merel SE. Development of a Virtual Internal Medicine Subinternship with Near-Peer Teaching in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Acad Med. 2021 Dec 1;96(12):1706-1710. PMID 34192717

  • Vendetta L†, Vig E, Kross E, Merel SE. The Role of the Palliative Medicine Clinician in the Family Conference. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2023 Jan;40(1): 5-9.  PMID: 35465731

  • Zehm A, Smith S, Schaefer KG, Jonas D, Bullock K, Edwards RL, Reville B, Jaramillo C†, Webb AC, Rydberg J, Merel SE. Development of objectives to inform a national, standardized primary palliative care curriculum for health professions students. J Palliat Med. 2023 Mar;26(3):406-410. PMID: 36608317