Author: Anindita Rochili
We are pleased to announce the appointment of two new executive leaders to PallCHASE: Dr Kayla Wolofsky and Dr Nahla Gafer. Both Dr Wolofsky and Dr Gafer bring extensive international experience and a strong commitment to serving underserved populations, with exemplary leadership in advancing palliative care in humanitarian settings.
Dr Wolofsky
Dr Wolofsky is a General Internal Medicine and Palliative Care Physician at Toronto General Hospital, and an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto. She is interested in addressing barriers to global palliative care access.
- Current role: Clinician-teacher at Toronto General Hospital and the University of Toronto.
- Specialties: General Internal Medicine and Palliative Care.
- Education & training:
- Medical school at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
- Internal Medicine residency at Emory University.
- Graduate of the Harvard Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Fellowship, with training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Further, Dr. Wolofsky has lectured internationally and nationally and has worked clinically in Ethiopia, Uganda, Peru, and for Indian Health Services in Arizona. She is working with KNUST University and the University of Toronto with support from the Master Card Foundation to develop palliative care training in Ghana. She is interested in the clinical and policy aspects of palliative care for underserved populations around the world and would like to further explore barriers to introducing palliative care both locally and abroad.
Dr Nahla Gafer
Dr Gafer is a clinical oncologist who is currently a part-time consultant to WHO – EMR office in Cairo for palliative care and cancer issues. She has established palliative care in resource-limited settings and continues regional development work.
The background of Dr Nahla Gafer is as follows:
- Current role: Clinical oncologist and part-time WHO-EMR consultant for palliative care and cancer issues in Cairo.
- Specialties: Clinical oncology with special interest in breast cancer and palliative care.
- Education & training:
- MD from Sudan Medical Specialization Board
- Trained at Hospice Africa Uganda Initiators Course (2009)
- Wisconsin Pain and Policy Study Group Fellowship (2014)
She currently resides in Cairo after the war broke out in Khartoum. Throughout her career, Dr Gafer has 14 years of oncology experience at Khartoum Oncology Hospital with special interest in breast cancer, where she also volunteered to develop a palliative care service. She was also involved in supporting the establishment of palliative care services in other parts of the country and in the region and contributed to training activities in Kuwait (WHO EMRO regional workshop), Mauritania through Carideas Sahara and in Gaza Islamic University, online, as well as recently in Oman and Iraq.
Dr Gafer has received two awards: The IDEA PC from ASCO grant foundation and the title Visionary in Palliative Care from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She is an active member of the International Association of Hospice and Palliative Care, and she is interested in research concerning the early integration of palliative care into oncology.
Both leaders bring proven track records of building sustainable palliative care programs in challenging environments. Their rich experiences and unique perspectives will be instrumental in guiding PallCHASE’s strategic initiatives and expanding our impact.
We welcome Dr Wolofsky and Dr Gafer to the PallCHASE leadership team and look forward to their contributions in advancing our mission to ensure compassionate, dignified care is accessible to all patients and families facing serious illness, regardless of geographic or economic circumstances.
