MONTEREY COUNTY PALLIATIVE CARE COLLABORATIVE
The Monterey County Palliative Care Collaborative, formed in 2018, is a monthly forum for clinician leaders in palliative and hospice care serving Monterey and San Benito Counties. The Collaborative fosters communication and the sharing of ideas, talents, skills, and energy with the goal of improving the coordination and delivery of palliative and hospice care services in our region. By transcending institutional boundaries, participants work toward a shared commitment to high-quality, equitable care.
The Collaborative meets on the first Wednesday of each month in Monterey. If you are interested in participating, please contact Mary Gunn, Senior Director of Grants and Impact, at [email protected].
Past Collaborative Topics
From January through December 2025, MCPCC convened clinicians and community partners for monthly learning and dialogue, featuring local and regional experts, including:
Pharmacist Collaboration in Palliative Care
Dharma Naidu, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula
Responding to Requests for a Miracle: Bioethical Perspectives
Trevor Bibler, PhD, Houston Methodist Hospital
End of Life Option Act, Part I: Legal and Clinical Context
John Hausdorff, MD, Pacific Cancer Care; Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula
Film Screening and Discussion: The Last Ecstatic Days
MCPCC members with Director Scott Kirschenbaum and Aditi Sethi, MD
Alzheimer’s Disease: Two Perspectives
Ankur Patel, MD – Use of AI in dementia care
Joy Smith, RN – Dementia and advance care planning
Collaborative Planning and Reflection
MCPCC members
Challenging Dynamics and Difficult Personalities in Palliative Care
Jessica Amarante, LCSW, and Jennifer Lewis, LCSW, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula
Medical Aid in Dying When Legal Options Are Limited
Lowrey Brown, Final Exit Network; Diana Martinetto
Parkinson’s Disease for the Specialist Palliative Care Team
Jocelyn Jiao, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Movement Disorders Division, Palliative Medicine Section, Stanford Health
Special Topic Session – Discussion of Difficult Symptoms and Strategies to Address Them
MCPCC clinicians and guest experts, led by Dharma Naidu, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula