Inspiring Conversations with Dr. Bob Uslander of Empowered Endings Medical Group, Empowered Palliative Care and Empowered Endings Foundation

Hi Dr. Bob, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I spent 25 years working as an emergency physician. During that time I cared for thousands of people and had the opportunity to save many lives. I also became very frustrated and discouraged by how poorly the healthcare system cared for many people – especially the elderly and very ill.

In 2013 I transitioned from being an emergency physician to a palliative care end of life physician. I spent two years working with a palliative care and hospice company in the traditional model, though I became even more disturbed when I realized how many gaps and limitations there were for patients and families who were struggling with the challenges of aging, as well as serious and terminal illness.

In 2016, I started my own medical practice designed to bring a more personalized, holistic and comprehensive approach to caring for patients and families who were navigating this unfamiliar and very challenging terrain.

For the past 10 years, I have been caring for patients throughout San Diego County and Southern California, leading a team of compassionate, committed, creative, and connective people to help patients live their best life and die their best death, and to support their loved ones as they naviagate this scary and unfamiliar terrain.

My two practices, Empowered Palliative Care and Empowered Endings, partner with many other care partners, and also with the Empowered Endings Foundation, a 501(c)3, which shares the mission of improving the experience of illness and end of life for all.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road. There have been many challenges.

First of all, I’ve created something that did not exist before – a private and holistic model of care for people facing serious and terminal illness that heavily focuses on providing support and resources for the families. The lay community and the healthcare community have had to be taught about the gaps in the system and encouraged to look for alternative solutions like my practice.

There’s a lot of competition out there for people’s attention, and when someone ‘s health is declining, it is often very stressful and overwhelming for them and their family. Most people believe that the healthcare system will show up for them when they really need it. Most people become confused, frustrated and angry when they learn the hard way that this isn’t always the case. In fact, it’s rarely the case.

I like being a doctor and I take great pride in doing what I do. I care about people and their experience a great deal. Unfortunately, I never recieved training in running a business, and I don’t particularly enjoy that aspect of this enterprise. But it’s necessary, so I do it. Finding compassionate and committed people to deliver care and counseling to our patients and families has not been difficult at all. They seem to flock to us because they enjoy working in our model of care. Finding people to help run the business from an operational standpoint has been quite a bit more challenging, but we continue to forge ahead and trust that the right people will find us as we continue to grow and expand.

We’ve been impressed with Empowered Endings Medical Group, Empowered Palliative Care and Empowered Endings Foundation , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We show up for people and take care of them where they are- geographically, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Patients and families often find themselves struggling to get the help and resources they need when faced with a serious or terminal illness.  Unfortunately, our healthcare system is fragmented, and when things get complicated, it usually falls short of meeting people’s needs. This causes an enormous amount of confusion, frustration, anger, and unnecessary suffering.

We’re committed to filling the gaps in this broken healthcare system so that people get the care they need and deserve- when they need it and where they want it- in the comfort of their own home.

Everything we do is inspired by the principles of CHOICES:

Commitment
Humility
Ownership
Imagination
Collaboration
Empathy
Service