Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida hosted a symposium, "Caring for Jewish Patients and Families at End of Life," on December 4, 2024. The keynote speaker was Dr. Barry Kinzbrunner, with responses from Dr. Claudio Kogan, Dr. Jessica Eichler and Rabbi Ed Bernstein. 

Dr. Barry Kinzbrunner, MD, FACP, is Former Chief Medical Officer, VITAS Healthcare. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine and he was ordained as an orthodox rabbi in Jerusalem, Israel in 2002. Dr. Kinzbrunner’s publications include a textbook entitled “20 Common Problems in End of Life Care,” a second edition of which, under the title “End of Life Care: A Practical Guide” was published in January, 2011. As a pioneer in the development of the role of the Hospice Medical Director for Vitas, as well as for the hospice industry in general, Dr. Kinzbrunner had the opportunity to author and publish a monograph entitled “Medical Director Model” for the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) in 2004. He also was an editor in a more recent AAHPM publication for Hospice Medical Directors entitled “The Hospice Medical Director Manual.” Dr. Kinzbrunner is a member of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. 

Dr. Claudio Kogan, MD, MBE, M.Ed.,  is Director of Bioethics for Baptist Health South Florida.  Dr. Kogan is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He attended the University of Buenos Aires Medical School where he received his M.D. Dr. Kogan received his Masters of Hebrew Letters and his rabbinical ordination at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and his Master of Education from Xavier University, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He also received his Master of Medical Ethics from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Rabbi Kogan served on the Human Investigation Committee at Yale University.

Rabbi Kogan served 26 for years multiple Jewish congregations in Buenos Aires, Michigan, Ohio, South Dakota, Kentucky, Florida and Texas. He is also a Mohel (certified to perform circumcisions) and a firm believer that Medicine and Religion are two sides of the same coin. Dr. Kogan is a strong advocate to combine Science and Spirituality and an activist who has traveled around the world promoting interfaith dialogue.

Dr. Jessica Eichler, MD,  is Chief Hospice and Palliative Care Specialist for Boca Raton Regional Hospital. She also serves as the Associate Medical Director for Trustbridge Health and as an Assistant Professor for Florida Atlantic University, teaching all internal medicine residents on palliative care service at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Dr. Eichler earned her medical degree at Universidad Iberoamericana School of Medicine, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She completed her hospice and palliative care medicine fellowship at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She serves on the ethics committee of Boca Raton Regional Hospital. 

Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains.

About our host:

Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives.

NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care.

NeshamaCast contributor Chaplain David Balto is a volunteer chaplain at Washington Hospital Center  in Washington, D.C. and Western Correctional Insitution, Maryland’s maximum security prison. He coordinated the annual National Bikur Cholim Conference. 

Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. 

Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. 
 

Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine.

Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. 
 

We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.