“This past June my father, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. You were an invaluable resource in understanding his diagnosis and helping us get a second opinion through the University of Chicago. My father is doing remarkably well with treatment so far, and we are very grateful for all your help.”
“My dad never wanted to make his battle with pancreatic cancer about himself. He believed in the power of sharing stories, and was all about helping others. Giving back is our family’s way to honor him and keep his legacy alive.”
Corey Goldberg, Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Advocate
“I lost my mom 12 years ago to pancreatic cancer. She was, in otherwise, perfect health. As president of Rolfe Foundation, I am fighting for her, and I am fighting for our future generations.”
Rachel Sheinkop, Former Rolfe Foundation Board President
Featuring Dr. Martha L. Twaddle,MD, FACP, FAAHPM, HMDC
Dr. Martha Twaddle combines over thirty years of experience in the care of seriously ill people and their families in a variety of areas of service. She currently serves as the Waud Family Medical Director for Palliative Medicine & Supportive Care at Northwestern Medicine. Her academic work includes developing curriculum, guidelines, and models of care for healthcare professionals to provide care for the seriously ill in all settings. She works with others at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine exploring how prescriptive nature can improve health outcomes as well as collaborating nationally in the development and implementation of patient-family centered quality metrics. On behalf of the American Academy of Hospice & Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), Dr. Twaddle served as the Co-Chair for the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care, which completed the 4th edition of the clinical practice guidelines for the field in late October 2018.
Dr. Twaddle’s unique talents and contributions to the field of Palliative Medicine have helped increase the understanding of and access to this continuum of care, regionally and nationally. In 2013, she was named one of the 30 most influential visionaries in Hospice and Palliative Medicine by nomination of her peers via the AAHPM. She served as President of the AAHPM from 2002-2003 and on the AAHPM Board of Directors from 1997-2004. She represented the AAHPM in the creation of the initial NCP Guidelines published in 2004. She was honored with the inaugural AAHPM Josefina B. Magno Distinguished Hospice Physician Award in 2005. She was recognized in 2016 as a Distinguished Alumni of Purdue’s College of Science and “an exemplary educator and pioneering contributor to end-of-life care” as the recipient of the Compassion in Action Award by Hospice of the Valley and Santa Clara University in 2015. She was the recipient of the AAHPM Lifetime Achievement Award conferred in March 2019.
After graduating summa cum laude from Purdue University, Dr. Twaddle received her medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis and completed her residency in Internal Medicine through Northwestern University McGaw School of Medicine, where she was Chief Resident. She currently serves as a Clinical Professor of Medicine for Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine.