Elisabeth Simms, MD of Falls Church will be recognized as Capital Hospice’s 2010 Passion for Caring Honoree at the organization’s 21st annual gala on Oct. 30 at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Tysons Corner.
The first physician to ever receive this accolade, Dr. Simms helped “pioneer the concept of hospice care in the United States,” a press release reported last week. As a “Founding Mother” of hospice, she worked closely with Josefina Magno, MD, who piloted the original Medicare hospice benefit and helped bring hospice into the medical mainstream nationwide. Dr. Magno founded Hospice of Northern Virginia, now known as Capital Hospice.
“My goal during the early days of palliative care was simply to create relief of suffering,” Dr. Simms was quoted as saying in the release. “Doctors then would often say, ‘There is nothing else to be done.’ That’s an awful thing to say to someone. There is always something more to be done from my perspective. This accolade from Capital Hospice is very special to me.”
