Washington University School of Medicine Oral Histories
Stacy Orloff Oral History
Interviewer
Bryan Sisk MD, MSCI
Files
Download Interview Transcript [PDF] (166 KB)
Summary
Stacy Orloff was interviewed by Brian Sisk on June 27, 2019 for approximately one hour for the Pediatric Palliative Care Oral History Project.
Scope and Content
Dr. Stacy Orloff begins the interview describing her experience after completing her MSW degree and one pivotal serendipitous event: she looked at the classified ads in the newspaper for the first time and found a job opening for a children’s program in her local hospice. After she took that position, she found that all her training in life led up to being a children’s advocate in the hospice setting. Dr. Orloff reflects on the beginning of the community-based hospice movement that now seems to provide fewer services than it was once able to due to the regulatory policies. She also describes some of the early challenges she faced with bridging the training gap to equip adult palliative and hospice clinicians with the necessary tools to care for children, even if they might only care for children a few times a year.
Dr. Orloff then recounts several stories of early palliative and hospice care practices that depict the early need for services designed and dedicated to children. Dr. Orloff also describes her experience finding and working with other interdisciplinary practitioners in creating global programming.
Dr. Orloff concludes with her goals of creating streamlined hospice and palliative services for families that also provide other practical services such as economic assistance and respite care. She envisions a time where all providers on the continuum of care can come to the table together to provide the best quality care for children without the barriers of practice “turfs.”
Biographical Information: Interviewee
Stacy Orloff, Ed, D, LCSW, is the current Vice President of Innovation and Community Health at Empath Health. Prior to her current appointment, she served in management and executive roles for Empath Health’s children’s program. She has been employed at Empath Health, as of this interview, for 29 years.
Dr. Orloff has dedicated her life’s work to developing some of the first U.S. children’s hospice and palliative care programming, including bereavement support programming and development of continuum of care planning. Dr. Orloff co-chaired the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s ChiPPS committee for ten years, and sat on numerous executive steering committees. She has also authored and co-authored over 40 peer reviewed publications and books covering topics of ethics, community programs, psycho-social needs, infants, children, and adolescents, bereavement, patient psycho-social health, and interdisciplinary training with practitioners.
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
2019-06-27
Collection Identifier
OH154-S27
Length
Approximately one hour.
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
Stacy Orloff Oral History, OH154-S27, 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).