News
February 2, 2022

Regenstrief scientist appointed 1st chief of new IU School of Medicine palliative medicine section

Regenstrief Institute Research Scientist Alexia Torke, M.D., M.S., was appointed as founding section chief for the newly established Section of Palliative Medicine within the Indiana University School of Medicine’s Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics. She previously held the position of associate chief for the division for four years.

Dr. Torke is a nationally recognized palliative care researcher and palliative care clinician. Her research focuses on ethical aspects of medical surrogate decision making for older adults, including advance care planning. She explores the roles of spirituality, ethics and communication in decision making. Her work has been published in Archives of Internal Medicine/JAMA Internal Medicine, the Journal of General Internal Medicine and the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Dr. Torke is also the director of the Daniel F. Evans Center for Spiritual and Religious Values in Healthcare at IU Health.

The Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics is a specialty division of IU School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine. The division includes primary care, geriatrics, hospital medicine, palliative medicine and global medicine and ethics.

About Regenstrief Institute

Founded in 1969 in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief Institute is a local, national and global leader dedicated to a world where better information empowers people to end disease and realize true health. A key research partner to Indiana University, Regenstrief and its research scientists are responsible for a growing number of major healthcare innovations and studies. Examples range from the development of global health information technology standards that enable the use and interoperability of electronic health records to improving patient-physician communications, to creating models of care that inform practice and improve the lives of patients around the globe.

Sam Regenstrief, a nationally successful entrepreneur from Connersville, Indiana, founded the institute with the goal of making healthcare more efficient and accessible for everyone. His vision continues to guide the institute’s research mission.

About IU School of Medicine

IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability.

  • Dr. Alexia Torke

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