Dignity Health Hospice Medical Director Earns Advanced Hospice and Palliative Care Certification

Dignity Health of the Central Coast, which includes Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, French Hospital Medical Center and Marian Regional Medical Center, is pleased to announce that Michael Schrager, M.D., Co-Medical Director of Dignity Health Hospice, has recently earned Hospice and Palliative Medicine Certificate of Added Qualifications from the American Board of Family Medicine.

Hospice and Palliative Care Board Certification focuses on the specialized care of patients with serious, life-threatening illness and requires extensive training and a rigorous review of a physician’s knowledge, experience and skill in the specialty. In order to receive certification, Dr. Schrager was required to participate in the active care of terminally ill patients, participate with a hospice care team for at least two years and pass a rigorous exam.

“The achievement of this designation demonstrates Dr. Schrager’s dedicated efforts of taking extra steps to improve palliative care and hospice medicine through continuing education,” explains Tina McEvoy, RN, BSN, CHPN, Dignity Health Hospice and Palliative Care Director. “His certification will undoubtedly be a great contribution to hospice and palliative medicine on the Central Coast and will add to the knowledge base of the Dignity Health Hospice team. Ultimately, his advanced knowledge and passion for treating terminally ill patients will improve care provided to the communities we serve.”

As one of two medical directors for Dignity Health Hospice, Dr. Schrager is responsible for assessing medical eligibility for hospice services, developing patient care plans and providing medical guidance to the Dignity Health Hospice interdisciplinary team for pain and symptom management. In addition, when patients have been on service for six months or longer, he makes home visits to verify a patient’s eligibility for continued hospice care. He is the current president of Central Coast Family Care, a group of experienced primary care physicians, and serves as the Medical Director of Allan Hancock College’s Student Health Center.

Dr. Schrager is board certified in Family Medicine and has practiced on the Central Coast since completing his residency in 1984. He earned his medical degree from the University of Southern California’s (USC) Keck School Of Medicine in 1981. He also completed an internship and residency at San Pedro Peninsula Hospital in San Pedro, California.

For more information about Dr. Schrager’s recent Hospice and Palliative Care Certification, please call his family care office at (805) 925-5334. 

About Dignity Health of the Central Coast

Dignity Health of the Central Coast is an integrated network of top quality hospitals, physicians from the most prestigious medical schools, and comprehensive outpatient services including primary care offices, premier ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers and a full service home health agency; all recognized for quality, safety and service.  Each hospital is supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to help meet the growing health care needs of our communities. For more information visit www.arroyograndehospital.org; www.frenchmedicalcenter.org; www.marianmedicalcenter.org