Marcia Levetown, MD, MMM, HMDC, FAAHPM, was among the first physicians in the U.S. to be certified in hospice and palliative medicine in 2008. She has been a pioneer in the field since 1994 and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Dr. Levetown has held professorships in internal medicine and pediatrics, served as the inaugural Chair of the Institute of Palliative Care at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, as Regional Medical Director for Vitas, and served as a member of an IOM Committee. She is a highly sought-after speaker, author of two books, several chapters in leading palliative care textbooks.