Faculty—MedStar Health Georgetown University Hospice and Palliative Medicine Program

Anca Dinescu, MD

Dr. Dinescu is a nationally recognized leader in palliative care, geriatrics, and clinical ethics. She completed fellowship training in geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and spent more than 15 years at the Washington DC VA Medical Center, where she cared for U.S. veterans and served as Assistant Professor and Associate Program Director for the Palliative Care and Geriatrics Fellowships at The George Washington University.

She currently serves as Director of the Palliative Care Department at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Program Director of the MedStar Health Georgetown University Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship. Over more than two decades, Dr. Dinescu has led and developed several inpatient palliative care programs and mentored hundreds of clinicians nationwide.

Her leadership focus centers on serious illness care, ethics, and system-level improvement. A nationally certified Health Care Ethics Consultant, Dr. Dinescu is an active leader within the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, advancing national standards for ethical AI integration and equity in healthcare.

Hunter Groninger, MD

Dr. Groninger serves as Director of the Section of Palliative Care at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and as an Associate Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University.

Dr. Groninger grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts, completed his undergraduate degree at Princeton University and master's degree at the University of Paris-Sorbonne. After completing his medical degree and training in internal medicine at the University of Virginia, Dr. Groninger completed a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine at Capital Hospice in Washington, D.C.,

Dr. Groninger is also a Master Facilitator with the Education for Palliative and End-of-Life Care (EPEC) Program at Northwestern University, a Faculty Affiliate in the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Medical Humanities at the University of Virginia, and a grant-funded investigator at the MedStar Health Research Institute. Some of his current studies include palliative care delivery in cardiovascular medicine, innovative symptom management strategies, language and word choice in complex communication, and the medical humanities.

To learn more about Dr. Groninger, please click here.

Clint Pettit, MD

Dr. Pettit is a faculty physician in the Section of Palliative Care. After attending medical school at his hometown's University of Nebraska Medical Center, Dr. Pettit entered the MedStar fold at Georgetown University Hospital as an internal medicine resident.  Deciding to keep Washington, D.C., (and MedStar Health) as his home, Dr. Pettit completed a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine in the MedStar Washington Hospital Center-Capital Caring Fellowship program in 2016.

Dr. Pettit has a passion for inpatient palliative medicine and a special interest in electronic health record ease-of-use. Outside of the hospital, Dr. Pettit's passion lies in music; he frequently attends local shows and writes his own music for classical and electric guitar.

Deborah Lewis, LICSW, APHSW-C

Deborah Lewis is a Palliative Care Social Worker at Medstar Washington Hospital Center, licensed in the District of Columbia. She received her master's degree from Catholic University in 2018, with a Clinical Health Care Specialization. Deborah believes that facing serious illness is a possibility we all share, and therefore should never face alone. She works with patients to marshal their personal, social, and spiritual resources and develop specific coping tools so that they can better tolerate the challenges of their illness and live their best lives. Prior to becoming a social worker, Deborah was an attorney who worked as a public defender and for nonprofit legal advocacy organizations.

Linda G. Fisher, Chaplain

Chaplain Fischer, an Episcopal lay woman, is living out a vocational call to the ministry of hospital chaplaincy and compassionate spiritual care at end-of-life. She has a particular interest in how the experience of grief, loss, and emotional trauma within the body effects learning during times of crisis, illness and disease. Prior to joining the MWHC Palliative Care Team in March 2014, she served as outpatient oncology chaplain at MedStar Washington Cancer Institute. Chaplain Fischer trained at the Center for Pastoral Counseling in Virginia, and the MedStar Washington Hospital Center Cancer Residency for Spiritual Caregivers.

She facilitates grief groups, coordinates the Palliative Care bereavement program, and teaches grief, loss, death and dying, and other spiritual concerns arising at end-of-life in clinical pastoral education (CPE) programs. Chaplain Fischer is a recipient of the MedStar Washington Hospital Center 2010 Healing Spirit Award and the Washington Cancer Institute 2013 SPIRIT Award. She is active in her parish community at Christ Episcopal Church in Alexandria, Virginia, where she serves in a variety of leadership roles.

Laura Simmons, MDiv BCC

Rev. Laura Simmons (Johnson), MDiv, BCC is a Palliative Care Chaplain at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Laura completed her undergraduate studies at the College of Charleston and received a Master of Divinity with Certificate in Theology, Medicine, and Culture from Duke University Divinity School. Laura completed a residency in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Duke University Medical Center and a second-year residency in CPE at the University of Virginia Health System, where she focused on Palliative Care. She is a Board Certified Chaplain in the Association of Professional Chaplains, and ordained and endorsed by the United Church of Christ denomination. At MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Laura is the Palliative Care Chaplain Workgroup Lead, serves as a faculty member for the Interprofessional Palliative Care Fellowship program, and mentors and teaches various learners across the hospital. Laura is deeply passionate about providing holistic and compassionate spiritual care, creating opportunities for patients and families to process the often-isolating experience of serious illness through the lens of their spirituality, and engaging in interdisciplinary collaboration.

Tracey Lopez, MDiv, MS,BCC

Rev. Tracey R. Lopez is a Palliative Care Chaplain at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She is Board Certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains, (APC). She serves the APC on an annual basis, by mentoring and interviewing BCC candidates. Prior to coming to MWHC, Tracey worked in various healthcare organizations, including hospice, where she honed her skills in supporting patients and families dealing with chronic illnesses and end-of-life challenges. She is passionate about the promotion of Palliative Care philosophies and the focus on holistic care of every patient. As a healthcare chaplain, she believes the invitation into a person’s struggle and vulnerability while hospitalized is sacred space.

Tracey is enthusiastic about collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, seeking opportunities to advance her professional skills, while sharing her knowledge and expertise in the areas of end-of-life concerns, grief, and bereavement. Tracey is broadening her knowledge and skills in the areas of mindfulness, complimentary spiritual/emotional healing interventions, and legacy building for patients with chronic and serious illnesses. She incorporates these interventions in her work to enhance coping and meaning. In the community, Tracey is serving as the President of the Virginia Chaplains Association Board, a nonprofit, volunteer organization which promotes the continuing professional development, advocacy, and support of professional chaplains.

Alexandra McPherson, PharmD, MPH

Dr. McPherson joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s Section of Palliative Care in 2018 after completing a PGY-2 Pain Management and Palliative Care Residency at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in Baltimore, MD and a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA. She completed her undergraduate training at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business, and then received an MPH with a dual certificate in International Health and Pharmaceutical Assessment, Management, and Policy from Boston University School of Public Health.

Dr. McPherson attended the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, where she received the Terry Paul Crovo Award in Pharmacy Practice for performance and promise to uphold the highest standards of the profession. She is an active member of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Society of Palliative Care Pharmacists and has published and presented internationally on topics pertaining to pain management and palliative care.

Her academic interests include early integration of palliative care in advanced illness, navigating transitions of care at the end-of-life, community-based palliative care, and palliative care in developing countries. Her newest interest involves the integration of narrative medicine practices as a tool for reducing burnout and improving resiliency among palliative care providers.

Paul Noufi, MD

Dr. Paul Noufi is the medical director of the palliative medicine program at MedStar Harbor Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. In this role, he leads a dedicated team that conducts thorough biopsychosocial and spiritual assessments of patients to understand their perceptions of their illnesses and their future goals. Dr. Noufi also focuses on addressing their psychiatric symptoms, pain management, and overall well-being. 

Dr. Noufi's journey in medicine began with his completion of a general psychiatry residency at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. Inspired by his fascination with the interdisciplinary management of medical and terminal illnesses, he pursued a fellowship in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at the combined program of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Washington Hospital Center. To further augment his expertise, he then undertook a Hospice and Palliative Care fellowship at the MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington DC.

Apart from his clinical commitments, Dr. Noufi is passionate about research and academic pursuits. His primary interests revolve around the intersection of psychiatry and palliative care, with a particular focus on existential psychotherapies and their role in the context of advanced illnesses. Additionally, he actively engages in clinical education, mentoring medical students and residents, and emphasizing the importance of finding meaning and identity in their careers as physicians.

Dr. Noufi is a trilingual professional, fluent in English, French, and Arabic. His diverse language skills allow him to effectively communicate with patients from various cultural backgrounds, ensuring comprehensive and patient-centered care. Furthermore, he has a keen interest in the field of bioethics and the philosophy of medicine, currently serving as the chief of the ethics committee at MedStar Harbor Hospital.

Language(s)
English (Speak Read Write)
French (Speak Read Write)
Arabic (Speak Read Write)

Education
Fellowship Program: Hospice and Palliative Medicine - MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2021)
Fellowship Program: Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry - MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (2020)
Residency Program: General Psychiatry - American University of Beirut Medical Center (2019)
Internship Program: Internal Medicine - Hotel-Dieu de France, Lebanon (2015)
Medical School: Saint Joseph’s University, Lebanon (2014)

Rachel Adams, MD

Dr. Adams serves as Division Chief for Palliative Care within the Department of Medicine at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Prior to joining Medstar Georgetown, Dr. Adams was associate director for inpatient consult services in the Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Care at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, NY, where she also completed her Palliative Medicine fellowship.

Dr. Adams is a graduate of the Boston University Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency Program in Boston, MA and received her medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. Dr. Adams is deeply committed to interdisciplinary team work, which is core to the structure of high-quality palliative care and is very proud to lead a team at Georgetown with representation from nursing, social work, medicine, and pharmacy. Dr. Adams holds a BA from Swarthmore College in English Literature.