Washington University School of Medicine Oral Histories
Joanne Wolfe Oral History
Interviewer
Bryan Sisk MD, MSCI
Files
Download Interview Transcript [PDF] (111 KB)
Summary
Joanne Wolfe was interviewed by Brian Sisk on September 20, 2019 for approximately 55 minutes for the Pediatric Palliative Care Oral History Project.
Scope and Content
Dr. Joanne Wolfe begins the interview describing some transformative experiences as a trainee in her pediatric oncology fellowship that demonstrated a deficiency in the care provided for children and families managing chronic and complex illnesses.
Dr. Wolfe recalls several fortunate encounters of meeting like-minded people after enduring instances of resistance from colleagues and other providers for her early research work in end of life care for pediatric oncology. These serendipitous encounters led to many pivotal moments in her life, including publishing her fellowship research in New England Journal of Medicine and Journal of the American Medical Association, and eventually leading into a career of pediatric palliative care research and practice.
Dr. Wolfe describes many instances of growing and learning from mistakes in her research, and she reflects on the many fruitful partnerships that she has benefited from in her career. In the future, Dr. Wolfe would like to see streamlined relationships within interdisciplinary teams to provide the best inpatient, outpatient, and home health care possible.
Biographical Information: Interviewee
Joanne Wolfe, MD, MPH is the Division Chief of Pediatric Palliative Care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Director of Pediatric Palliative Care at Boston’s Children’s Hospital, , and a Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Wolfe has served in a multitude of local, regional, national, and international leadership roles and committees related to pediatric palliative care. She has participated and served as the PI research focused on easing suffering and enhancing well-being in seriously ill children and their families. Her early work identifying symptoms experienced by children in their last month of life raised awareness of the need for deeper study and better care in pediatric palliative care. Currently, Dr. Wolfe is serving as the president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Her appointment marks the first time a pediatrician has served in this role.
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
2019-09-20
Collection Identifier
OH154-S35
Length
Approximately 55 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
Joanne Wolfe Oral History, OH154-S35, 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).