UAB Center for Palliative and Supportive Care

12/17/2025

✨ Happy Hanukkah from the UAB Center for Palliative and Supportive Care! ✨
As we celebrate the Festival of Lights, we honor the values of hope, resilience, and togetherness that shine brightly during this season. May these eight days bring peace, comfort, and joy to you and your loved ones.

From our team to yours—thank you for allowing us to walk alongside you in care and compassion.

12/16/2025

Just a friendly reminder that Letters of Intent for the Palliative Research Enhancement Project (PREP) awards are due on Monday, January 26th by 5:00pm CST.

PREP supports innovative palliative and supportive care research by UAB investigators, with up to $25,000 available for projects that can be completed within two years. We welcome interdisciplinary ideas and especially encourage early-career investigators to apply in partnership with experienced UAB faculty members.

We’re excited to see the creative and impactful work our community brings to the table and look forward to another great year of palliative and supportive care research. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re considering submitting and LOI or have any questions, we are happy to help!

https://www.uab.edu/medicine/palliativecare/research/prep-awards

12/04/2025

✨ Thrilled to celebrate Dr. Sylvia Huang and Dr. Carolyn Kezar on being named Fellows of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) this year. What an incredible achievement—congratulations to both! 🎉

Please help us congratulate them!

12/04/2025

🍪💙 It’s National Cookie Day—a sweet reminder of the simple joys that bring comfort and connection.

At the Center for Palliative and Supportive Care, we serve patients and families experiencing serious illness by providing compassionate clinical care, leading in teaching health professionals, conducting collaborative research, and shaping health care delivery and public policy.

Just like sharing a cookie can brighten someone’s day, your support helps us bring warmth, resilience, and care to those who need it most.

Celebrate with us by spreading kindness—whether through cookies or contributions. Together, we can make life a little sweeter.

12/03/2025

✨ Exciting news from the Center for Palliative and Supportive Care!

Rev. Moneka A. Thompson will be expanding her role as Counselor and Spiritual Care Manager, beginning December 2025/January 2026. She will provide increased counseling in the Supportive Care Clinic and step into a new leadership position as Assistant Director of the Psycho-Oncology Residency Program, working alongside Dr. Sylvia Huang.

Rev. Thompson has been a vital part of UAB Medicine since 2009, serving patients with compassion and expertise. An ordained minister in the AME Zion Church, she brings a rich background in chaplaincy, counseling, and education—continuing to support patients with chronic and serious illnesses while training the next generation of caregivers.

We are honored to celebrate her continued impact and leadership! Please help us in congratulating her!

12/02/2025

This Giving Tuesday, join us in supporting the UAB Center for Palliative and Supportive Care.

We serve patients and families facing serious illness by:
* Providing compassionate clinical care
* Leading in teaching health professionals and trainees
* Conducting collaborative research
* Influencing health care delivery and public policy

Your generosity helps us continue this vital mission of care, education, and advocacy.

👉 Make an impact today and strengthen the future of palliative and supportive care. Give today at: https://go.uab.edu/palliativecare

11/27/2025

Thankful This Season

At the UAB Center for Palliative and Supportive Care, Thanksgiving reminds us of the power of gratitude.

We are thankful for:

Our patients and families who share their journeys with us.

Our dedicated team whose compassion makes a difference every day.

Our community partners who help us extend comfort and dignity.

May this season bring peace, connection, and thankfulness to you and yours.

11/25/2025

We think Dr. Shena Gazaway is pretty incredible, too!

Associate Professor Shena Gazaway is the December 2025 Face of HPNA, featured on the cover of the December issue of the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, the official journal of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association.

View issue: https://bit.ly/4oWgoRl

11/25/2025

✨ On November 19, the Department of Medicine came together in the Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium to celebrate DOM Recognition Day 2025!

Department Chair Dr. Mark Dransfield opened the ceremony by honoring faculty and staff who reached annual milestones—representing an incredible 2,900 years of combined service. A total of 73 employees were recognized for excellence in teaching, clinical care, research, and support.

This celebration was a powerful reminder of the talent, dedication, and teamwork that make our department thrive. Thank you to everyone who advances our mission each day! 💙

🌟 Special congratulations to our Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care awardees:

Justine McGiboney – Top Teacher in GGPC

Stephen Howell – GGPC Unsung Hero Award

Robert Mankowski – Division Research Award

👏 We’re proud to celebrate their outstanding contributions!

11/24/2025

🎉 Exciting News! 🎉

We are proud to share that Dr. Ashley Nichols has been named the Charles D. Beard, Jr., Family Endowed Chair in Interdisciplinary Healthcare Communication.

Dr. Nichols has dedicated her career to advancing communication skills in healthcare at UAB and beyond. Her journey includes:

-Graduating Summa Cum Laude from Baylor University in Medical Humanities
-Earning her MD from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
-Completing her Internal Medicine & Pediatrics residency at UAB
-Finishing a fellowship in Hospice & Palliative Medicine at UAB in 2011, when she joined our faculty

Since then, she has worked tirelessly to improve care for patients with serious illness, expand education in communication skills training, and ensure that research, clinical, and educational efforts meet the needs of our community.

This appointment will amplify her incredible impact. 💙

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Nichols on this well-deserved honor! 👏

11/21/2025

🌟 Celebrating Excellence in Hospice & Palliative Care 🌟

We want to share that the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Care announced their newest class of Fellows! 🎉 These outstanding clinicians and leaders represent the very best in advancing compassionate, patient-centered care.

We are especially honored to highlight the work of Dr. Carolyn Kezar and Dr. Sylvia Huang. Their dedication to improving quality of life for patients and families embodies the mission of the Academy and the Center for Palliative and Supportive Care and sets a powerful example for the future of palliative medicine.

Please join us in congratulating the new Fellows and celebrating the incredible impact of Dr. Kezar and Dr. Huang. 💙

Congratulations to the 52 individuals who achieved the Academy’s highest honor: Fellow of the Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (FAAHPM)! This prestigious recognition is awarded to AAHPM members whose professional activity is devoted to the practice of hospice and palliative care. Learn more about the FAAHPM program: https://ow.ly/ePET50XrKKj