Lars Margolis, MD is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics at the University of Pittsburgh. He completed his medical school training at Columbia University, Internal Medicine residency at the University of Washington, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital.

His clinical activities include inpatient Supportive and Palliative Care consultations at UPMC Presbyterian, Shadyside, Magee, and Mercy hospitals. He assists patients and clinicians with communication surrounding goals of care, as well as pain and symptom management for hospitalized patients. His academic interests include medical education, with a focus on optimizing feedback for trainees. He will also serve as the Palliative Care Educator for 3rd and 4th year medical students as they rotate with the Supportive and Palliative Care consultation teams.

Rachel Markovitz, MSN, CRNP, is a nurse practitioner within the Supportive and Palliative Care program with the inpatient consult service at UPMC Mercy. Her primary role is to provide care for hospitalized patients with life-limiting illnesses through pain and symptom management, facilitating goals of care discussions, and hospice evaluations. Rachel earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Duquesne University in 2015 and completed her Master of Science in Nursing from Carlow University in 2021. She worked as a nurse at UPMC Presbyterian for over five years, with the majority spent in the surgical intensive care unit. As a critical care nurse, she always aimed to provide support and personalized care to patients and their families through difficult clinical scenarios.

Anna McGovern, MSW, LSW is a Palliative and Supportive Care Social Worker at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. As part of the Palliative Care team at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, Anna focuses on supporting patients and families through life-limiting illnesses by providing counseling, education, resources, and legacy work.

Anna graduated from the Catholic University of America in 2020 with honors and earned her Bachelors in Social Work and minor in ASL. She then continued at the University of Pittsburgh to earn her Masters in Social Work with a certificate in integrated healthcare in 2021. During graduate school, she participated in the Edith M. Baker Integrated Healthcare Fellowship and the Death and Dying Feinstein Fellowship. Anna comes to the Palliative and Supportive Institute with a diverse background in medical social work across Intensive Care, oncology, general inpatient and antepartum/postpartum units. In her free time she enjoys cooking with friends, being outside and staying active. She recently ran the 2022 Pittsburgh Marathon.

Jessica Merlin, MD, MBA, is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine and the Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Merlin is also a PhD-trained behavioral scientist and NIH-funded clinician-investigator. Her research includes foundational work on the pathophysiology, clinical epidemiology, and behavioral management of chronic pain in people with HIV. This work has extended to management approaches to pain and opioid misuse/use disorder in individuals with serious illness in palliative care settings. She has been recognized nationally for her work with three Young Investigator awards from relevant societies, an Inspirational Leader Under 40 Award from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and a Cambia Foundation Sojourns Scholar Leadership Award.

Dr. Merlin’s clinical interest is in chronic pain in people living with HIV (PLWH) and other medically and psychiatrically complex patient populations. While on faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) from 2011 to 2017, she developed and ran the HIV Pain/Palliative Care clinic, which was embedded in UAB’s HIV Patient Centered Medical Home. This multidisciplinary clinic included a nurse practitioner, nurse, social worker, physical therapist, and pharmacist, and a total of 24 palliative care fellows in chronic pain care during her tenure. At Pitt, she leads the pain clinic at the Pittsburgh AIDS Center for Treatment (PACT) started by Dr. Bob Arnold.

Dr. Merlin also attends for one month per year on the inpatient general medicine service.

Colleen McMonagle, MSW, LSW, is a Clinical Social Worker with the UPMC Supportive and Palliative Care team at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. She works collaboratively with the Palliative Care team, the patients, and families to engage in various psychosocial interventions to provide support to patients with life-limiting illnesses. This often includes providing education on end-of-life issues and helping patients and families with the transition to palliative care or hospice.

Colleen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at Westminster College and Master of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to joining the Palliative Care team, she worked at UPMC Mercy on the Surgical/ Oncology Unit. She also completed internships at UPMC Passavant in the Intensive Care Unit, as well as the Allegheny County Apprise Program where she provided Medicare and Medicaid counseling.

Rabbi Jonathan Perlman BCC is the Bereavement and Spiritual Support Coordinator with the Palliative and Supportive Institute at UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside Hospital.  He dedicates his time to visiting patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families through spiritual conversation, comfort, prayer, and therapy around fear, depression, and end-of-life issues. He also directs programs and trainings for staff and the community around spiritual assessment, speaking about death, cultural diversity, and bereavement. 

Rabbi Perlman is a board-certified chaplain of the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychiatry.  He did his training as a resident at Abbott-Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  He was ordained as a rabbi by the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York and has a BA in Religious Studies from Yale University in New Haven, CT.  His work prior to coming to PSI was in hospice care at Forbes Hospice and Compassionate Care Hospice in the pastoral care departments.  He has been the shepherded synagogues for over 30 years including the New Light Congregation in Pittsburgh where he currently preaches and teaches. 

Gina Piscitello MD MS is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics at the University of Pittsburgh. She completed her undergraduate studies at Northwestern University, medical school at University of Minnesota, and internal medicine residency and hospice and palliative medicine fellowship at the University of Chicago. She also completed a Master of Clinical Research at Rush University and a fellowship in clinical medical ethics at the MacLean Center at University of Chicago.

Her clinical responsibilities include inpatient palliative consultation and outpatient palliative clinic. She is interested in research at the intersection of clinical medical ethics and palliative medicine including clinician-patient communication, code status, moral distress, ECMO, and scarce resource allocation.

Lisa Podgurski, MD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics and the University of Pittsburgh. Her clinical responsibilities include inpatient consult service at UPMC Presbyterian-Shadyside and Magee Womens Hospital of UPMC, as well as seeing palliative care outpatients at Hillman Cancer Center.

Lisa completed her undergraduate studies in Bio-Psych and Anthropology at Carnegie Mellon University; medical school training at Harvard Medical School and Internal Medicine Residency training at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian program. She recently earned a Masters in Medical Education from the University of Pittsburgh.

Lisa also serves as Wellbeing Champion for the Section and facilitates our monthly Psychosocial Rounds.

Kelly C. Prilla joined the Palliative and Supportive Institute in June of 2022 as an administrative liaison. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Duquesne University in 2013 and a Juris Doctor from Duquesne University School of Law in 2020. She has over 25 years of administrative experience. Before joining the PSI she supported the Clinical Transformation Executive Team at Highmark Health and the General Counsel and CFO of Allegheny Health Network. She enjoys spending time with her large family and especially relishes time with her nieces and nephews.

Sinthana Uma Ramsey, DO is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics at the University of Pittsburgh. She attended the University of Florida where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences with minors in Chemistry and Education. She then completed her medical school training at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Internal Medicine residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian-Shadyside, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at the Ohio State University. She has also spent two years as a Hospitalist at UPMC-Shadyside.

Her clinical responsibilities include providing inpatient palliative care consultations at UPMC Presbyterian and Shadyside and as a hospitalist at UPMC Presbyterian. She will also spend a portion of her time as a hospitalist at UPMC Presbyterian. Her academic interests include furthering palliative medicine integration with chronic non-malignant diseases, addressing racial disparities in palliative care, and furthering graduate medical education (for which she is pursuing a master’s degree). She is grateful to dedicate her time to assist patients and clinicians with communication regarding goals of care, as well as pain and symptom management in patients with life-limiting illness.

Sarah Reiland, MPAS, PA-C is a physician assistant within the Supportive and Palliative Care Program at UPMC Presbyterian. Her primary role consists of pain and symptom management in addition to addressing goals of care and providing support for patients and families dealing with life-limiting illnesses. 

Sarah graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a Pre-Physician Assistant Concentration. She worked as an EMT at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, and as a nursing assistant at an assisted living facility, where she gained experience caring for patients near the end of life. She went on to complete her MPAS from the University of Pittsburgh Physician Assistant program and graduated in 2020. Among others, Sarah completed clinical rotations in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Hematology/Oncology to prepare her for her current position. 

Sarah developed an interest in Palliative Care from both her personal and professional experiences. She is drawn to the opportunity for patient advocacy, clear communication, and family connection that Palliative Care emphasizes. She is extremely excited to begin her new position with UPMC Supportive and Palliative Care. 

Eva B. Reitschuler-Cross, MD, graduated from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, in 2004 and completed her residency training in Internal Medicine at Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, MA in 2010. She then served as a chief resident at Mount Auburn Hospital and completed a fellowship in medical education. After completing a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in 2011, she joined the Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics at the University of Pittsburgh in August 2012.

Dr. Reitschuler-Cross currently serves as an attending physician on the inpatient consultation service and has an outpatient clinic at the Hillman Cancer Center. She has a passion for medical education and will be serving as the subspecialty education coordinator for the GME Residency Program.

Rhiannon Rieger, MMT, MT-BC is the Music Therapist with the Palliative and Supportive Care team at UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital. Rhiannon collaborates with patients with life limiting illness, and their families, to provide music therapy services. As a board-certified music therapist, Rhiannon offers patient-preferred music in order to holistically focus on an individual’s psychosocial, emotional, social, and/or spiritual needs.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Youngstown State University, Rhiannon earned her Music Therapy Equivalency from Slippery Rock University. She became a board-certified music therapist and worked with older adults in nursing homes in Pittsburgh, while earning her master’s degree in music therapy from Slippery Rock University.

Rebecca Sands, DO, graduated from medical school at Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. She then completed her training in Internal Medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, where she also served as Chief Medical Resident. She completed her Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship at Harvard University in 2011 training at both Massachusetts General Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute. After her training she practiced for three years in community and inpatient hospice as well as serving as the hospice coordinator for the Harvard Palliative Medicine fellows.

She serves as an attending physician on the inpatient Palliative Care consultation service and staffs an outpatient clinic at Hillman Cancer Center. Her academic responsibilities include being the program director for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship.

Jane Schell, MD, graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine and trained in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins. She completed dual fellowships in Nephrology and Hospice & Palliative Medicine at Duke University in 2012. She also earned a Masters in Health Science in 2011 and completed a qualitative study examining communication between nephrologists and elderly patients with kidney disease. She joined the Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics and Renal-Electrolyte Division at the University of Pittsburgh in 2012 as an Associate Professor of Medicine.

She serves as an attending physician on the inpatient consultation service for Palliative Medicine and Nephrology. She also attends a nephrology clinic which addresses palliative care issues for nephrology patients. Dr. Schell’s academic and educational interests focus on communication within the doctor-patient relationship.

Yael Schenker, MD, MAS, is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Palliative Research Center (PaRC) in the Division of General Internal Medicine and the Section of Palliative and Medical Ethics at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Schenker received her AB magna cum laude from Harvard University. She completed medical school, residency and fellowship training at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was also awarded a master’s degree in clinical research.

Dr. Schenker joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh in 2010. Her research focuses on the integration of palliative care services for patients with serious illness, with a focus on primary palliative care approaches in oncology.  She is an active mentor and co-director of team science for the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. She is also clinically active on the palliative care consult service.

Ethan Jaffee Silverman, MD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics at the University of Pittsburgh. He completed his medical school training at Wayne State University, internal medicine residency at University of Chicago Medical Center, and hospice and palliative medicine fellowship at University of Wisconsin Madison. He also completed a fellowship in clinical medical ethics at the MacLean Center at University of Chicago, and an advanced fellowship in medical education at University of Wisconsin Madison.

His clinical responsibilities include providing inpatient Supportive and Palliative Care consultation at UPMC Presbyterian, Shadyside, Magee, and Mercy hospitals. He assists patients and clinicians with communication regarding goals of care, as well as pain and symptom management in patients with life-limiting illness. His academic interests include medical education, ethical challenges at end of life, and moral distress of providers.

Adam J. Simcox, MSN, CRNP, is a nurse practitioner on the Supportive Care and Palliative Medicine team at UPMC Shadyside. He earned his Bachelors of Arts degree in Religion and Music from Bluffton (College) University in 1998. He earned his RN Associates degree in 2003 from Ohio Valley General Hospital School of Nursing, his BSN in 2016 from CALU, and his MSN from Carlow University in 2019. Much of his time as an RN was spent on the gynecological oncology unit at UPMC Magee Women’s Hospital. This provided him experience and familiarity with patients living with cancer. Through this time he felt a calling to the field of Supportive Care and Palliative Medicine. Adam believes and considers it a privilege to walk beside individuals and their families as they wrestle with their circumstances.  Adam is excited to be joining the growing Palliative Care team at UPMC Shadyside.

Lori Spahr joined the Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics in 2010 and is an Administrative Coordinator for the department. She earned a degree in Business Administration & Information Processing from the Monroeville School of Business and has over 27 years of administrative experience. Before coming to the University of Pittsburgh she worked for West Penn Allegheny Health System as an Executive Assistant in the Finance area.

Aaron Teague, MA, MT-BC, LPC, is the Creative Expressive Arts Therapist with the Palliative and Supportive Care teams of UPMC Presbyterian and UPMC Shadyside. In this role, Aaron provides services as a board-certified music therapist and a licensed counselor. He collaborates with the patients and families in music therapy and counseling to provide support to patients with life-limiting illnesses. Services can include music offered for a patient to manage distress, co-created music with patients or families for psychosocial support, or counseling to manage symptoms.

Aaron earned both his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Therapy and a Masters in Community Counseling from Appalachian State University. Before joining the Palliative Care team, he provided music therapy services on adult and child/adolescent inpatient units of UPMC Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. 

Andrew Thurston, MD, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics at the University of Pittsburgh. He completed his medical school training at the Baylor College of Medicine, and his residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He subsequently completed a Geriatrics Fellowship and a Palliative Medicine Fellowship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

His clinical activities include supportive and palliative medicine inpatient consult service at UPMC Mercy Hospital, where he is the Medical Director, UPMC Mercy Supportive and Palliative Care Program. Current areas of interest include the integration of medical humanities into clinical practice, and the use of reflective techniques involving art and literature to explore complex themes in medical practice.

Alicia Topoll, MD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Heart and Vascular Institute (HVI) and the Division of General Internal Medicine, Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Topoll also serves as the Clinical Director of the Heart and Vascular Institute (HVI) Palliative Care Program.  She completed her medical school training as part of the 6-year combined BS/MD program at Youngstown State University and Northeast Ohio Medical University where she joined the US Navy.  Dr. Topoll completed an internship in Internal Medicine at Naval Medical Center San Diego and completed her active-duty military service as a Flight Surgeon with the Marine Corps. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, where she also served as a chief resident.  Dr. Topoll is board certified in Cardiology and Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship, which were completed at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.  She also received a Master of Science degree in Medical Education at the University of Pittsburgh.  Her clinical time is spent on the inpatient and outpatient service in both Cardiology and Palliative Care consultation service at UPMC Mercy, Presbyterian, Shadyside, and Magee Hospitals.  Her academic interests include teaching communication skills, chronic illness, non-invasive cardiology, and the integration of cardiology and palliative care.

Stephanie Garofalo Uram, DNP, CRNP, is a nurse practitioner with the Supportive and Palliative Care Program at UPMC Presbyterian. Her primary role is to provide care for hospitalized patients with life-limiting illnesses through pain and symptom management, facilitating goals of care discussions, and hospice evaluations.

Stephanie earned her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh in 2012 and completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Robert Morris University in 2018. Her work prior to joining the palliative care team included working as a registered nurse in the trauma-surgical intensive care unit, resource intensive care department, and emergency department.

Richard L. Weinberg, MD, is Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics. He graduated from the University of Michigan and completed residency at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

He practiced general internal medicine at Penn Group/HealthAmerica in Pittsburgh and served as the head of internal medicine. He was then Chief, General Internal Medicine at Western Pennsylvania Hospital. In 2005, He moved to Fairfax, Virginia to work full time in hospice and palliative care. He served as faculty for the National Institute of Health-Capital Caring Palliative Medicine fellowship.

Dr. Weinberg currently provides supportive and palliative care consultations at UPMC Presbyterian, UPMC Shadyside and Magee Womens hospitals.

Ashley Wills, DNP, CRNP, is a nurse practitioner for the Supportive and Palliative Care Program at UPMC Magee Womens Hospital. Her primary role is to evaluate and support patients in the areas of pain and symptom management, goals of care, and hospice evaluations. Ashley earned her Bachelor of Arts from Carlow University in 2004 with a focus in English and creative non-fiction writing. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Duquesne University of Pennsylvania in 2008 and completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice at Robert Morris University in 2017. Her work prior to joining the palliative care team was as a registered nurse in the medical intensive care unit where she was introduced to palliative care. While obtaining her DNP, she completed a quality improvement project with the Palliative team at UPMC Mercy regarding moral distress in nurses caring for patients at the end of life.

Alex Winter, MSW, LSW is a Palliative Care Social Worker at UPMC Presbyterian. Alex collaborates with the palliative care team to provide psychosocial support to patients and their families through counseling, education, connection to resources, and legacy work.

Alex comes to the Palliative and Supportive Institute with a diverse background in medical social work across emergency department, general inpatient, and interdisciplinary outpatient settings. She has further experience in nonprofit administration, research, and volunteer management, including a year of service with AmeriCorps. She received her MSW at the University of Pittsburgh and a BA with honors in Government & Politics at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Kathy Wunderle, MD is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics at the University of Pittsburgh. She completed medical school at the University of Rochester, and then did her internal medicine residency at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, OR. She first came to Pittsburgh in 2018 for a Critical Care Medicine fellowship, and then went on to complete a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Her clinical responsibilities include providing inpatient Supportive and Palliative Care consultation at UPMC Presbyterian, Shadyside, Magee, and Mercy hospitals. She also works as an intensivist at the VA in Oakland. Her academic interests include teaching all levels of learners communication skills and critical care medicin