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Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship

The SSM Health/Saint Louis University School of Medicine Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program equips physicians with knowledge, skills and empathy to improve the quality of life for patients and families facing serious illness or life-changing medical conditions, and to support health care teams in delivering the highest quality of care. 

A Message From the Program Director

Welcome to the Hospice and Palliative Care Fellowship Program. 

We believe the art of medicine is a combination of knowledge, skill and empathy; palliative medicine represents this art as its highest form. Our work centers on understanding what matters most to patients and their loved ones at any stage of an illness or life-changing diagnosis. 

Our program's clinical and academic instruction equips our trainees with the skills to maximize the quality of life and minimize the suffering of patients and their families during every stage of the disease process. Fellows engage in complex conversations in a clear, compassionate, accessible way, utilizing their strong medical knowledge to help patients and families understand the pathophysiology of the disease, prognosis and full range of treatment options. 

In addition to providing excellent medical care, fellows offer emotional, spiritual and social support. Communication skills are strengthened daily through meaningful interactions with patients, families and interdisciplinary care teams. Collaboration with other clinicians ensures exceptional care for our patients and helps them achieve their goals in life. Fellows graduate as leaders in palliative medicine with expertise in both advanced communication and symptom management. 

As part of an academic community, fellows develop their teaching skills, helping in the education of medical students, residents and fellows from other specialities who rotate through palliative medicine. They also participate in clinical and quality improvement research. 

Please reach out if you have any questions about this rapidly growing field. 

Headshot of Lina Toledo-Franco

Lina Toledo-Franco, M.D.
Program director

Program Overview

The one-year, ACGME-accredited hospice and palliative medicine fellowship provides training in team-based care for patients throughout the course of their illnesses, whether the focus is curative treatment or comfort and symptom control. The program emphasizes pain and symptom control, holistic support, ethical decision-making, communication skills, and quality and improvement. Fellows also help with advance care planning, family meetings and strategies for collaborative work, as well as education the medical community about the importance of palliative care in life-limiting illness. 

Fellows rotate through the following sites:

Most of the clinical training involves inpatient palliative care and inpatient adult consultation service, during which fellows work collaboratively to assess palliative care needs, support decision-making and help lead family meetings with patients, caregivers and health care teams. 

The curriculum also includes rotations in home hospice and home palliative care, oncology, addiction medicine, an ambulatory palliative clinic and electives, as well as regular lectures and research time. 

Rotations are Monday through Friday. Night calls consist of phone coverage from home from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. for outpatients and nursing facilities, and some weekends. 

Program Highlights

  • Holistic, patient-centered care
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration
  • Multiple health care environments
  • Mentored research opportunities
  • Communication strategies

Meet the Faculty

Current Fellows

Samia Kazmi, M.D.

Samia Kazmi, M.D.

Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan
Fellowship: Geriatric medicine, Nuvance-Northwell Health, New York
Residency: Internal medicine
Medical school: Dow University of Health Sciences

Samia Kazmi, M.D., loves traveling and experimenting with cooking (which is not always edible), has a streak of OCD, and is a huge fan of murder mysteries and zombie apocalypse movies. 

Jafar Ohiokpehai, M.D.

Jafar Ohiokpehai, M.D.

Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
Fellowship: Geriatric medicine, SSM Health/Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Residency: Family medicine, SSM Health/Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Medical school: Trinity School of Medicine - Ribishi, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Jafar Ohiokpehai, M.D., was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. He moved to St. Louis for family medicine residency training, during which he became increasingly interested in palliative care — an essential dimension of caring for older adults. His broad medical training also led him to develop an interest in using Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS).

As the child of immigrants from Nigeria and St. Vincent, Ohiokpehai is committed to helping underserved communities. He hopes to use his full range of skills, including POCUS, to support disadvantaged regions both within the U.S. and in his family's countries of origin. 

Outside of the hospital, Ohiokpehai enjoys baking — especially breads and pizzas — and finds his happiest moments are when he is spending time outdoors or snowboard in the mountains. His other interests include cooking, traveling and watching animated shows. 

Recent publications include:

  • Ohiokpehai, J, Co-Author, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: RapidEvidenceReview Journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians, vol 107, June 2023
  • Ohiokpehai J, Gammack JK, Siddiqui M, Nyahoda T. Loneliness and Social Isolation in Older Adults. Mo Med. 2025 Mar-Apr;122(2):118-123

Apply

The fellowship program has two available positions each year. 

Qualifications

  • Completed an ACGME-accredited residency in internal medicine, family medicine or combined internal medicine-pediatrics.
  • Board eligible/certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine or the American Board of Family Medicine. 

The division sponsors J-1 visas; H-1B visas are supported on an individual basis. International applicants with authentic interest in palliative medicine should contact the division to determine eligibility. 

The program participates in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). 

Review the Application Process

Interviews

Candidates should expect to interview with the program director and two to four division faculty members and current fellows. 

About the SSM Health/Saint Louis University School of Medicine Graduate Medical Education Program

SSM Health proudly sponsors the Graduate Medical Education Program at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. This university-based training program offers a world-class academic environment that fosters clinical excellence, research innovation and compassionate care. All program participants are employed by SSM Health, ensuring a cohesive and supportive experience within a nationally recognized health system.