About the Presenter:

Tom R. Fitch,M.D., was a consultant at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona from July 1988 through July 2021, when he retired. He was a consultant in the Division of Hematology and Oncology throughout his career and became a consultant in Hospice and Palliative Medicine when it was initially created as a section of Division of Hematology and Oncology in 2001. At the time of his diagnosis of multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in May/July 2018, he was Director of the Center for Palliative Medicine in Arizona and Chair of the Mayo Enterprise Center for Palliative Medicine. He stepped down from those positions at the time of his cancer diagnoses of both multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and initiation of treatment. Dr. Fitch held the academic rank of associate professor of medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.

Dr. Fitch earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and his M.D. degree at University of Kansas. He completed an internship/residency in Internal Medicine at University of Michigan and continued his education at Mayo Clinic, where he completed fellowships in Medical Oncology and in Hematology. He became certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine in 2004 and became a diplomate in Hospice and Palliative Medicine in 2008. Dr. Fitch is board certified in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, Hematology, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Dr. Fitch’s more recent clinical research focused on expanding concurrent palliative care models of care for patients with advanced serious illness, particularly innovative practice designs for patients with cancer. He was commonly invited to give presentations in these areas and has helped author numerous journal articles, abstracts and other written publications which covered his earlier efforts in cancer clinical research.

In recognition of his work, Dr. Fitch received the Distinguished Mayo Clinician award, conferred by Mayo Clinic Arizona.

In addition to his clinical activities, Dr. Fitch helped develop the Hematology/Oncology practice model for the Division of Hematology/Oncology, the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship, the Multidisciplinary Breast Clinic, and the Cancer Clinical Research Unit at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He also led the development of the Mayo Clinic Arizona Hospice and Palliative Medicine Program, the Mayo Clinic Arizona Palliative Medicine Fellowship, the Mayo Clinic Arizona Nurse Practioner Residency, the collaboration with Hospice of the Valley which led to building the Sherman Home Inpatient Palliative Care Unit on the Mayo Clinic Arizona Hospital campus in Phoenix, and he led the development of the Mayo Enterprise Center for Palliative Medicine.

Dr. Fitch held memberships with numerous professional organizations, including the American College of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, the Center for the Advancement of Palliative Care, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Dr. Fitch went on medical disability in July 2018 due to cancer diagnoses and treatment including high dose therapy and stem cell rescue. His career at Mayo Clinic Arizona, after his cancer diagnoses, was limited to education and administrative efforts due to ongoing cancer treatments. He formally retired in July 2021. Since late 2019, he has been involved in the Arizona End of Life Organization, a volunteer organization dedicated to passing a Medical Aid in Dying Law (MAID) in Arizona. He and his wife Janis have focused the majority of their time on family. They have 3 daughters who are all married with families and active careers. We are blessed with 3 wonderful sons-in-law and there are 4 grandchildren – Max, Jane, Georgia, and Maya – the lights of our lives!!

About the Moderator:

Melanie Wright graduated with her Bachelor of Art in non-confessional Religious Studies, with a leading focus on cross-cultural perspectives on death and religious impacts on human rights and bioethics. Following this, she journeyed to complete her Master of Social Work, where she developed the inaugural internship program between Arizona State University and the Mayo Clinic. During a two year graduate rotation with the Mayo Clinic, Melanie conducted a research study entitled, "Physicians’ Perspectives on Socio-Political Barriers to Effective Palliative Care in a Hospital Setting”, which she was then invited to present at the 2005 "Joint National Conference of the American Society on Aging and the National Council on Aging". This research contributed to the formation of an in-house hospital Palliative Care Team at the Mayo Clinic; the first program of its kind on a national scale. As a result, Melanie was presented with the distinction of "Honorary Member of the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences Alumni Association." Currently, she is the acting President for the Parkinson Network of Arizona, which funds all wellness/outreach programs for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute. She is an active member of the National Association of Social Workers, National Council on Aging, American Association of Integrated Healthcare Delivery Systems, Alliance for Professional Healthcare Advocates, and serves on the Advisory Council for the Arizona Interfaith Movement. Melanie obtained her Fellowship in Thanatology, with a focus on therapeutic interventions for the terminally ill and is actively conducting research on patient-centered care when confronted with a life limiting diagnosis. She is the acting Chair of the Professional Development Committee for the Association on Death Education & Counseling (ADEC).