Tina Kocher, Palliative Care

It takes a special kind of person to excel as Memorial’s Palliative Care Coordinator. Tina Kocher, however, has been able to do just that. Often placed in the center of some of our most complex patient-family-physician situations, Tina handles everything from difficult end-of life decisions to patient advocacy with skill and wisdom.

For example, Tina’s tireless advocacy for patients was clearly evident in her care of a woman with a life-long history of eating disorders. Despite the patient’s strong will to live, her body was not absorbing the nutrients necessary to achieve a healthy weight. The patient was becoming frustrated and self-referred to the University of Chicago, then Mayo Clinic, but was disappointed with the lack of response.

Tina stepped in to help. She contacted the Mayo physicians directly and advocated for her beloved patient. Shortly thereafter, the patient was accepted for consultation and recently returned from a week of extensive workups. She is now back in town and ‘very pleased’ with her care plan at both Mayo and Memorial Hospital.