Hospice and Palliative Care Physicians Named to New Leadership Roles with Ohio’s Hospice

Chirag Patel, MD, and Wendy Schmitz, MD, have been named to new roles with the southwest care region of Ohio’s Hospice

Dr. Patel will serve as President of Innovative Care Solutions/Pure Healthcare and Regional Chief Medical Officer for the five Ohio’s Hospice southwest affiliates.

Dr. Patel joined the staff of Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton in 2009 and has served as Medical Director for Innovative Care Solutions since 2010. Dr. Patel formerly served as a staff hospitalist and specialist in hospice and palliative care at Dayton Veteran’s Affairs Hospital. He earned his medical degree from the American University of The Caribbean, and completed residency and Chief Residency with Wright State University School of Medicine. From 2005-2006 Dr. Patel served as the Chief of the Medical-Surgical Clinic at Miami Valley Hospital. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is board certified by the American Association of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Dr. Schmitz has been named Vice President of Medical Care with operational oversight of services at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, Ohio’s Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties and Community Mercy Hospice, a service of Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton.

Dr. Schmitz joined Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton in 2008, most recently serving as Medical Director for inpatient care. She earned her medical degree at the Medical School of Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California and completed her residency at Kettering Medical Center, where she was a Weiffenbach Scholar.  She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Before joining Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, Dr. Schmitz served as a hospitalist with South Dayton Acute Care Consultants at Miami Valley Hospital and had also served as medical director of sub-acute care units with Arbors of Dayton Long Term Care, Carriage by the Lake Nursing Home, and Hickory Creek Nursing Home.

Dr. Schmitz is also spearheading an Ohio’s Hospice initiative of international physician partnership through Care Partners International with the goal of establishing hospice care services in Ecuador.

In announcing the new roles for Drs. Patel and Schmitz, Ohio’s Hospice President/CEO Kent Anderson stated, “With their leadership, insight, and continued dedication to the mission, Ohio’s Hospice will continue to lead with superior care and services in the communities we serve.”