The Hospice and Palliative Medicine Program, HCA Florida Healthcare JFK Hospital led by a team of compassionate healthcare professionals with extensive experience in hospice and palliative medicine. The fellows selected work closely with these leaders and faculty to gain valuable knowledge and experience in end-of-life care.
Vishesh Pathak, DO
Dr. Pathak received his undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech. He attended medical school at Nova Southeastern where he received his Osteopathic Degree in Medicine. He then completed his internal medicine residency at University of Miami, JFK regional campus followed by a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at the same program.
Dr. Pathak has been an Associate Medical Director with Trustbridge since 2017 and has been part of the core-teaching faculty since that time. He has held several academic titles including Associate Program Director for the Hospice Palliative Medicine Fellowship, Outpatient Educational Director while also serving as an Assistant Professor at FAU, University of Miami and Kiran Patel College of Medicine.
Dr. Pathak is dedicated to educating future medical professionals about the principles of hospice and palliative medicine with a focus on elder care advocacy. In his free time, Dr. Pathak enjoys spending time with his family while staying active by playing basketball and golf.
Richard S. Levene, DO, HMDC, FAAFP, FAAHPM
Affiliated Assistant Professor
Department of Family Medicine & Community Health
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Dr. Levene holds a Bachelor of Science\Biology and Psychology from Syracuse University and attended medical school at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine of New York Institute of Technology. He was the Roxane Visiting Scholar in Hospice & Palliative Care at Northwestern Memorial Hospice and Northwestern University Medical School.
Dr. Levene was the founding Director of Medical Education and Program Director for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship in 1997. He has recently retired from his position as Program Director but remains active as a consultant and faculty member.
Dr. Levene previously held positions for Vice President of Medical Affairs and has been a Hospice Medical Director since 1997. Dr. Levene is board certified in Family Practice and Hospice & Palliative Medicine; he also holds fellow status in the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
Katherine Brazzale, MD
Dr. Katherine Brazzale joined Trustbridge in 2008 when she was selected as the first-ever physician for Trustbridge's Fellowship program. Following her fellowship, Dr. Brazzale served as Associate Medical Director. In addition, she has also served as Director of Pediatrics, where she works to enable medically frail children to spend time at home surrounded by their family.
Dr. Brazzale is a member of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Physician Leadership, and the Palm Beach Medical Society. She earned her medical degree from University College London and later served as chief resident at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital. Dr. Brazzale is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine. She has also served in faculty positions at Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami and the Department of Family Medicine at Nova Southeastern University.
Faustino Gonzalez, MD, FACP, FAAHPM
Dr. Faustino Gonzalez is an Associate Medical Director at Trustbridge. He has previously held the position of Chief Medical Officer and has been a Hospice Medical Director since 2001. Dr. Gonzalez is board-certified in Hospice & Palliative Medicine. He holds fellow status in the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the American College of Physicians.
Dr. Faustino Gonzalez is a Peer Reviewer for The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He has published 12 peer reviewed case reports, and he is the co-author of a guideline for managing hypoglycemia in non-diabetic patients at the end of life. His main interests are difficult conversations and Ethics at the end of life.
Dr. Gonzalez attended Colgate University and the College of the City of New York. He attended medical school at the Universidad Central del Este in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic.
Vanessa Perez Cardona, MD
Dr. Perez was born and raised in Cali, Colombia. She moved to the US in 2003 and has been in Florida ever since.
Dr. Perez attended Boynton Beach High school and then went to complete her undergraduate degree in Biology/Pre-med at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Perez attended Ross University School of Medicine and graduated in 2016. Furthermore, she completed her residency in Internal Medicine at UM/JFK PBGME 2016-2019.
Dr. Perez finished her Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine fellowship in 2019-2020. Upon completion of her fellowship, she was hired as a full time Associate Medical Director and assists in developing the next future physicians in Hospice and Palliative Care as a team doctor.
Faneece Embry, MD
Dr. Embry holds a Bachelor of Biological Sciences from University of Georgia in Athens, GA and attended medical school at Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency and Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/JFK Medical Center Palm Beach Regional GME. Dr. Embry is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice & Palliative Medicine. Dr. Embry is originally from Atlanta, GA and enjoys music, theater and yoga.
Jonathan Ganesh, MD
Dr. Jonathan Ganesh was born and raised in Queens, New York. He received his medical education training in Saint Lucia, West Indies. Dr. Ganesh received residency training at Larkin Community Hospital in South Miami, FL where he served as Chief Associate of the Family Medicine Residency Program and Geriatric Coordinator. Dr. Ganesh is Board Certified in Family Medicine and currently completing his Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Training with The University of Miami/HCA Florida JFK Hospital Palm Beach Regional Graduate Medical Education Consortium. After the completion of his fellowship training, Dr. Ganesh will be joining Trustbridge as an Associate Medical Director in Broward County. Dr. Ganesh enjoys traveling and outdoor adventures.
Stuart Bagatell, MD
Stuart (“Stu”) Bagatell is the youngest of 3 boys, a father of two teenage sons (Benjamin and Henry), and a devoted husband to Rikki (married in July 2000). Stu moved to West Palm Beach in 2009 after completing his undergraduate and graduate training in Internal Medicine at Tulane University in New Orleans before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city.
Stu joined the faculty of the Internal Medicine Residency Training program at University of Miami, JFK Medical Center in 2009 and recently stepped away from academics after serving as the Program Director of the residency program from 2017-2024. Stu has always been fascinated and energized when working with patients and their families dealing with serious advanced illness, and is the co-author of a book entitled, “Permission to Die: Candid Conversations about Death and Dying”.
Jennifer Coby, DO
Dr. Coby is originally from a small town called North East, Pennsylvania; she attended Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania and received her B.S in Biology. For medical school, she attended Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Coby’s internship and family medicine residency were completed in Cleveland, Ohio; she then moved to Florida in December 2010 and completed her Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship at Broward General in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Dr. Coby has been employed with Trustbridge as an Associate Medical Director since completing her fellowship in 2012.
Karen Kennedy, DO, MHA, FAAHPM
Dr. Kennedy holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology with Honors from Eckerd College, where she was a scholarship athlete in volleyball. She attended medical school at Nova Southeastern University and completed a residency in Anesthesiology at Jackson Memorial Hospital where she also served as Chief Resident.
Dr. Kennedy is board certified in Anesthesiology and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She holds fellow status in the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
She has worked as a hospice physician since joining Trustbridge in 2003.
Dr. Kennedy currently serves at the VP of Medical Access. She previously was the Chief Medical Officer for the Medicare VBID hospice pilot for United Healthcare, for Optum Hospice Guide.
Dr. Kennedy loves playing tennis, making crafts with her cricket machine, and traveling with her family. This year her family reached their goal of visiting all & continents!
Ellena Buhman-Retterath, BSN, RN
Ellena has climbed the nursing ladder starting with her CNA license in 2005. She then received her LPN in 2006 and worked in a sub-acute rehabilitation center. In 2010, she decided to join the United State Air Force as a med-tech. While she served in the Air Force, she attended South University in Royal Palm Beach to complete her BSN. She completed her BSN in 2016 and graduated Summa Cum Laude.
After completing her BSN, she took a position as an ortho-trauma nurse and soon found Trustbridge in 2018. She was hired as an admission nurse at Trustbridge but also has experience as a Clinical Educator along with assisting in the COVID command center. She really enjoys the Palliative and Hospice fields along with working closely with the fellows to assist in professional and personal growth and success. She took the dual position of Fellowship Coordinator and Medical Education Specialist in September 2023.
Physician Faculty:
Barry Miskin, MD, FACS
Assistant Medical Director
Palliative Surgery & Wound Care, Trustbridge
Wagas Ghumman, MD, FACC
HCA/JFK Cardiology
Sajid Miraz, MD
HCA/JFK Cardiology
Jennifer Pacilietti, ARNP
HCA/JKF Cardiology
Michael Silverman, MD, MPH, CMD, FAAFP
Site Coordinator, West Palm Beach VAMC
Jose Garcia Negron, MD
PM&R/Pain Management, West Palm Beach VAMC
Mythili Bhardwaj, MD
Palliative Care & Extended Care Director, West Palm Beach VAMC
Ramon Cuevas-Trisan, MD, AAPMR
PM&R/Pain Management, West Palm Beach VAMC
Daniel Mark, MD
Radiation Oncologist
Catherine Miller, MD
Palm Beach Medical Examiner
Non Physician Faculty:
Barbara Abernathy, PhD
Pediatric Oncology Support Team
Father Gabriel Ghanoum, PsyD
Spiritual Care & Palliative Care Education, HCA Florida JFK Hospital
Maura Miller, PhD, GNP-BC, ACHPN, PMH CNS-BC
Hospice & Palliative Medicine, West Palm Beach VAMC
Sandra DiScala, Pharm D, BCPS
Palliative Care & Extended Care Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, West Palm Beach VAMC
Rachael Good, RN
Starfish Care Group Manager, Trustbridge
Teresa Hagerty, RN
Jade Care Group Manager, Trustbridge
Erika Contreras, ARNP
Hospice & Palliative Medicine, Trustbridge
Michelle Logan, MBA, BSN, RN
Patient Care Director, Trustbridge
Joseph McNett
Spiritual Care Coordinator, Trustbridge
Glaucia Smith, LCSW
Social Worker, Trustbridge
Carla Bang, LCSW
Bereavement Manager, Trustbridge
Joseph Hamilton, LMT, CMT, NT
Self-Care Manager, Trustbridge
Ellena Buhman-Retterath, BSN, RN
Medical Education Specialist/Program Coordinator, Trustbridge
