Dr. James D. Atkisson, MD, FACP, HMDC

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Get to know Hospice and Palliative Medicine Specialist Dr. James D. Atkisson, who serves patients in University Place, Washington.

A competent hospice and palliative medicine specialist, Dr. Atkisson is an attending physician at Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care in University Place, Washington.

CHI Franciscan understands the distress a family endures when a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Their palliative care team is available from the day of diagnosis to offer medical and emotional support. If a patient chooses to stop treatment and focus on quality of life, their hospice team is available to continue the support to help them live as fully and comfortably as possible.

Graduating from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1976, Dr. Atkisson went on to complete his residency in general surgery at AMI Presbyterian Denver Hospital, followed by two residencies in internal medicine at Danbury Hospital and Greenwich Hospital in 1980 and 1982, respectively.

A Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP), the doctor is board-certified in internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). The ABIM is a physician-led, non-profit, independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world.

Hospice and palliative medicine is a formal subspecialty of medicine in the United States that focuses on symptom management, relief of suffering, and end-of-life care. Hospice and palliative medicine specialists are medical doctors who help prevent and relieve suffering of patients who have a serious illness or who have only a short time left to live. They work with a team of other professionals to address the needs of both the patient and loved ones.

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