Dr. Kimberly A. Curseen is an Associate Professor in the Division of Palliative Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. She serves as the Director of Supportive and Palliative Care Outpatient Services for Emory Healthcare, Director of Winship Palliative Care, Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, and Associate Director of Inclusion Excellence and Belonging at Winship Cancer Institute.
Board-certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Dr. Curseen served as Secretary for the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) and chaired the governance committee 2024-2025. She will assume the role of Chair-Elect in February 2025. She also serves on the Public Policy Committee for AAHPM, is Chair of the working group for the AAHPM Next Generation Scholars program, and co-chaired the Academy’s 2024 Board Review Course. Dr. Curseen founded the outpatient palliative care interest group for AAHPM and was previously Co-Chair of the American Geriatrics Society Palliative Care Interest Group. A fellow of the Academy, she continues to contribute extensively to advancing education, policy, and clinical practice in the field.
Dr. Curseen is also a Board Member of the Georgia Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (GHPCO), where she co-chairs the POLST Committee, currently collaborating with the Georgia Department of Public Health to develop the state’s electronic POLST system. She co-chairs the Georgia Cancer Consortium Palliative Care Working Group and partners with LeadingAge Georgia to educate long-term care providers and seniors on medical cannabis.
Previously, Dr. Curseen was the recipient of the Geriatric Career Development Award from HRSA (2010–2014), during which she educated rural long-term care facilities, hospitals, and AHEC geriatric centers in Arkansas on geriatric palliative care. Before joining Emory, she served as Director of Geriatric Palliative Care at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Department of Geriatrics. Early in her career, she worked as a hospice medical director with Baptist Hospice in Arkansas and Cabarrus Hospice in North Carolina.
A 2023 Tideswell Fellow, Dr. Curseen continues to be recognized for her leadership and dedication to advancing palliative care, promoting equity and inclusion, and driving innovations in education and policy.