DAVID KESSLER
12201 Hillslope Street
Los Angeles, CA 91604
818-762-7901
David@grief.com

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Vice President-Patient Support Care Services 2001-Present
Citrus Valley Health Partners

A Health Care corporation, which has three hospitals, a home hospice as well as a freestanding in-patient hospice unit in the Los Angeles area with over 900 physicians and 2000 nurses. Oversee Palliative Care Program, Language and Cultural Resource Center, Pastoral Services in all three hospitals. Responsible for Ethics, Patient Rights, and Pain Committees.

Major Accomplishments:
• Obtained a second grant to $399,000 for Community Palliative Care nurses (2007)
• Obtained a $48,000 grant for palliative care program (2003)
• Implemented an end of life educational program for physicians and nurses
• Provide a consult service to patients in all three facilities
• Started an “I count too” program for children whose parents have a terminal illness
• Integrated palliative care into the public relations, marketing and computer systems
• Participated in education programs for the foundation to improve end of life care

Writer March 2007-Present
LA Times
Freelance writer for book review and health sections. Have reviewed two books relating to health care. “How Doctors think” by Jerome Groopman and “The Rowing Lesson” by Anne Landsman.

Author/Lecturer 2001-2005
Authored a third book, “On Grief and Grieving”

Major Accomplishments:
• Co-authored with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D., published by Simon & Schuster- New York
• Co-authoring “On Grief and Grieving,” with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross is her final legacy, one that brings her life’s work profoundly full circle
• Published simultaneously in the United States and in the United Kingdom
• Will be translated into over 26 languages world wide

Author/Lecturer 1998-2001
Authored a second book, Life Lessons. This book is a reflective/motivational book, which contains stories of people who turned loss and tragedy into creativity and success.

Major Accomplishments:
• Co-authored with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D., published by Simon & Schuster- New York
• Published simultaneously in the United States and in the United Kingdom
• Translated into over 19 languages world wide

Consultant 1999
Provided full time consulting services to VistaCare Hospice and Healthcare Corporation on a national level. Brought in by the President to help with management issues and challenges.

Major Accomplishments:
• Assisted in assessing acquisitions for quality of care and level of skill of managers
• Spoke nationally on behalf of the foundation
• Participated in education programs for the foundation to improve end of life care

Author/Lecturer 1995-1998
Authored a book on health care, The Needs of the Dying, which was originally published in hard cover and audio and recently published in a tenth anniversary edition by HarperCollins Publishing. This book reflects years of experience in managing a nationally recognized end of life health care and hospice agency.

Major Accomplishments:
• It received praise from Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D. and Mother Teresa.
• Published and translated in The United Kingdom, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, and Spain

Consultant 1992-1996
National Director of Specialty Programs – Kimberly Quality Care. Kimberly Quality Care is a division of Olsten, Inc., which is a publicly traded corporation.

Major Accomplishments:
• Managed specialty home health care programs, which administered health care to clients with life challenging illnesses
• Improved physician relations, education of caregivers and managed care contractors, as well as providing overall marketing strategy

President/Founder
Progressive Heath Care Services, Inc. 1984-1992

Major Accomplishments:
• Provided leadership and management for 8 years — from start up to sale
• Built and oversaw PNS’ professional staff of over 300 nurses providing a full range of healthcare services as well as medical and community education throughout Los Angeles County

ORGANIZATION AFFILIATIONS

Chairperson, Palliative Care Committee September 2007-Present
Hospital Association of Southern California (HASC)

Help form a new committee for the Hospital Association of Southern California to foster collaboration between all of Southern California’s Hospitals Palliative Care Programs.

President Emeritus/Co-Founder
Project Angel Food 1991-2001
Project Angel Food is a non-profit, charitable organization which delivers, free of charge, over 1250 hot meals a day to homebound men, women and children with life challenging illnesses.

Major Accomplishments:
• Reorganized and revitalized the Board from 2 members to 25 members including Melinda McIntyre/First Professional Bank, Chantal Westerman/Good Morning America and Ron Burkle/Food-4-Less
• Created a Board of Advisors with Barry Diller, David Geffin, Judith Light and Elizabeth Taylor
• Raised over $1 Million per year, which was accomplished by producing several successful fund-raisers.
• Continue to provide consulting services to the Board, Executive Director and Senior staff

Member
Los Angeles Police Department
Specialist Reserve Officer for Critical Incident Team

Red Cross
Healthcare team member for disasters such as aviation incidents

Past Member
National Education and Healthcare Advisory Committee
National committee on education and healthcare consisting of leaders in their respective medical fields including Jonas Salk, M.D. and Anthony Fauci, M.D.

Los Angeles City Advisory Council
Appointed by Mayor Richard Riordan, to make recommendations of community needs of the City.

Adaptive Business Leaders
ABL is an organization of individuals who strive to be adaptive change agents and innovators, shaping and improving their businesses and organizations.

EDUCATION
Masters in Bioethics -Loyola Marymont University – Current
EPEC – Certified Trainer for A.M.A. Education for Physicians on End of Life Care
Anderson Business School / Entrepreneurial Program – UCLA
The University of the State of New York- RN
University of Southern California