Palliative Care Education

Carrie Cormack is an Associate Professor and lead palliative care faculty in the College of Nursing (CON) at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).

Dr. Cormack focuses on improving the quality of life for individuals living with serious illness through palliative care education and practice. Under her leadership, the CON prioritized palliative care nursing education and aligned with national recommendations, by successfully embedding palliative care across all undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. In addition, she led the development and successful implementation of the nation’s first Post-Master of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice Lifespan Palliative Care program. As faculty with the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC), Fellow with the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (FPCN), and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), Dr. Cormack teaches palliative care to interprofessional healthcare clinicians and students locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Concurrent to her faculty work, Dr. Cormack practices as a pediatric nurse practitioner in perinatal palliative care honoring patient and family values as they navigate receiving difficult news during pregnancy.

Dr. Cormack received her BSN from Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, and her MSN and Doctorate from the Medical University of South Carolina.

Amy Smith, DNP, APRN, AGNP-C, CNE, is an Assistant Professor and Interim Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs in the College of Nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), where she teaches in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program. Her passion for teaching began during her early career as an oncology nurse in 2007 and continues to drive her work as a nurse educator and director of Prelicensure Programs. Certified as a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE), she is recognized for her innovation in nursing education and active involvement in state and national organizations.

Whitney A. Smith, DNP, APRN, AGPCNP-BC, GNP, is an assistant professor in the College of Nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) for the Doctor of Nursing Practice program. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of South Florida and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from MUSC.

Donna Reinbeck, RN, Ph.D., OCN, NEA-BC, CNE, is an assistant professor and director of Nursing Continuing Education and Professional Development in the College of Nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Dr. Reinbeck earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Clinical Leadership, and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Educational Leadership from Kean University, Union, New Jersey. She has over 30 years of nursing experience as a clinician, nurse leader and educator. She is a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) and maintains an Nurse Executive Advanced Certification (NEA-BC).

Dr. Reinbeck possesses an extensive clinical background in nursing leadership. After many years in various positions in the acute care leadership role, she completed her Ph.D. in January 2017, enabling her to pursue her passion for teaching.

She has published on a variety of topics relating to quality and safety, cross-generational mentorship, and nursing leadership. Dr. Reinbeck has presented her research locally, nationally and internationally and served as a consultant to nursing programs in Bangladesh.

Kathleen Oare Lindell, Ph.D., RN, ATSF, FAAN is an associate professor and the Mary Swain Endowed Chair in Palliative Care Health in the College of Nursing in the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) with joint appointments in the College of Medicine and College of Health Professions. She is a graduate of the St. Francis General Hospital Professional School of Nursing (Diploma RN), and the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing (BSN, MSN - Pulmonary Specialty, and Ph.D.).

Dr. Lindell worked at the PENN Lung Center as a Pulmonary Clinical Nurse Specialist (PCNS) where she participated in development of evidence-based programs to advance the respiratory health of patients with lung disease ultimately impacting their ability to breathe. In 2000, she became the PCNS at the inaugural University of Pittsburgh Dorothy P. & Richard P. Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Disease at UPMC where she led the patient education and support group for patients and their caregivers focused on improving their quality of life. After obtaining her Ph.D., she became the executive director of the SUPPORT program, received NIH, foundation, and intramural funding, and continued her research focus toward promoting palliative care knowledge and preparedness to improve the quality of life for patients with advanced lung disease, specifically Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and their family caregivers.