The 2014 Hastings Center Cunniff-Dixon Physician Awards in the early career category honor Jeanette S. Ross, MD, AGSF, FAAHPM, staff physician in geriatrics and palliative care at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System in San Antonio and director of educational initiatives for the geriatric and palliative medicine fellowships at the University of Texas Health Science Center. She is commended for advancing palliative care for veterans, as well as for using communications technology to enhance education and clinical practice in care near the end of life.

Dr. Ross cares for hospitalized veterans in the hospice and palliative care consultation service and leads the hospice and palliative care clinic, which includes patients who are terminally ill or have chronic illnesses with multiple symptoms. She has significantly contributed to the growth of the palliative care fellowship program at University of Texas Health Science Center, which is one of the largest fellowship programs in the country. She has also developed and implemented an interdisciplinary curriculum in geriatric palliative care, which emphasizes complex communication, symptom management, identification of terminal illness, and advance care planning, with the goal of improving health care professionals’ ability to care for seriously ill elders.

“Since the very early stages of her career, Jeanette showed a unique charisma to teach and to add innovations to her teaching style, putting all her talents and skills to the service of learners and patients,” wrote Sandra Sanchez-Reilly, MD, palliative care section chief at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System and the University of Texas Health Science Center, who nominated Dr. Ross. “Dr. Ross is a kind and compassionate doctor who provides support to patients and families at a difficult time in their lives. With her educational efforts she has role modeled how to provide end-of-life care for many learners and reached hundreds of practicing health care professionals.”

Dr. Ross received her medical degree from the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellin, Colombia in 1998. She completed a family medicine residency and fellowships in geriatric and palliative medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center.