Washington University School of Medicine Oral Histories
Susan Huff Oral History
Interviewer
Bryan Sisk MD, MSCI
Files
Download Interview Transcript [PDF] (106 KB)
Summary
Susan Huff was interviewed by Brian Sisk on July 3, 2019 for approximately 51 minutes for the Pediatric Palliative Care Oral History Project.
Scope and Content
Ms. Susan Huff begins by identifying some of her experiences during the earliest practices of hospice in the U.S., including her work in developing a multidisciplinary team model that could provide a service to follow a patient through end of life. Ms. Huff also describes some of her work closing the provider education gaps around hospice philosophy, pain management, and communication.
Ms. Huff then describes her work bridging pediatric palliative and pain management programs. Ms. Huff also describes her role in many programs and projects that successfully demonstrated that her model of pediatric palliative and hospice care met the desires of patients and parents while working within the confines of limited funding.
Ms. Huff concludes the interview with her vision of furthering research on outcomes to empower programs to deliver the “seamless choices in care and access” that parents and patients deserve.
Biographical Information: Interviewee
Susan Huff, RN, MSN, is a leader and administrator in palliative, hospice and home care, with an emphasis on developing healthcare programs for children with complex illness and their families. Her nursing career began in pediatric oncology and pain management; she started the first pediatric Pain Management service at the Women and Children’s Hospital in Buffalo New York in 1989.
During this time, she developed the Essential Care Program; one of the first Pediatric Palliative Care Programs in the United States. She began working on a national level to change hospice care for children and to develop Palliative Care Programs across the United States through program development and government advocacy. Ms. Huff chaired the NYS Palliative Care Coalition and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Advisory Council for Children for several years. Currently, she oversees an organization that provides comprehensive care for children at home and in the community in Maryland and the District of Columbia. This organization provides home health, infusion pharmacy, home medical equipment and respiratory services. In addition, Ms. Huff consults for Johns Hopkins International and is currently working on projects in China.
Biographical Information: Interviewer
Bryan Sisk, MD, MSCI is an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology and an Assistant Professor in General Medical Sciences as a member of the Bioethics Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis. He completed medical school at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. He completed his clinical training at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.
Dr. Sisk was a clinical fellow in pediatric hematology and oncology when he initiated this Pediatric Palliative Care Oral History Project. As a trainee, Dr. Sisk had a strong interest in palliative care, the approach to the suffering of children, and the history of medicine. Prior to initiating this project, Dr. Sisk performed an in-depth review of the development of pediatric palliative care as a discipline and philosophy. This research culminated in a publication entitled, “Response to Suffering of the Seriously Ill Child: A History of Palliative Care for Children” in the journal Pediatrics. However, this historical review was limited to textbooks and publications. It lacked the personal experience of caring for these children and inspiring the development of a new clinical discipline. Inspired by David Clark’s oral history of the adult hospice movement, Dr. Sisk began to plan this pediatric oral history project.
Of note, this collection of oral histories is incomplete, and many important figures have not (yet) been interviewed. Dr. Sisk’s goal is to continue adding to this collection create a rich repository of personal insights and wisdom from leaders who changed the field of pediatrics.
Interview Date
2019-07-03
Collection Identifier
OH154-S19
Length
Approximately 51 minutes.
Restrictions
Users wishing to publish (in whole, or in part) content taken from the audio or transcript of this oral history interview must request, sign, and return a Statement of Use form to the Becker Archives. For detailed information regarding publication and use of this oral history, contact the Becker Archives (arb@wusm.wustl.edu).
Recommended Citation
Susan Huff Oral History, OH154-S19, Bernard Becker Medical Library Archives, Washington University in St. Louis.
Disclaimer
The Becker Archives provides access to this oral history interview as a record of the past. This interview reflects the attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of the interview participants, which may reflect outdated, biased, and offensive views and opinions. The Becker Archives does not endorse the views expressed in this interview, which may contain materials offensive to some users.
Notes
Access to the audio recording for this oral history may be obtained via approval of the archivists at Becker Library. Contact the archives for more information (arb@wusm.wustl.edu).