Ira Pastor, ideaXme life sciences ambassador and founder of Bioquark, interviews Dr. Christopher Kerr, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer at The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care in Buffalo, New York.
Ira Pastor comments:
Today’s episode focuses on the themes of death, dying, and dreams.
Dr. Christopher Kerr is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer at The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care in Buffalo, New York (HPCB).
Dr. Kerr has an undergraduate degree in Psychology, a Doctorate of Medicine, a PhD in Neurobiology, and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Rochester.
Dr. Kerr joined Hospice Buffalo in 1999 as the Medical Director for the Organization’s 22-bed Inpatient Unit and served in that capacity until 2011, when he was appointed HPCB’s Chief Medical Officer. He was named CEO in 2017.
End of Life Experiences
Dr. Kerr’s background in research has evolved from bench science towards the human experience of illness as witnessed from the bedside, specifically patient’s dreams and visions at the end of life, termed “end of life experiences” or “ELEs.”
Dr. Kerr has cared for thousands of patients who have remarkable stories of dreams nearing the end of life that are unlike any regular dream. Routinely described as “more real than real,” these detailed end-of-life experiences involve the resurrection of past relationships, meaningful events and themes of love and forgiveness.
Dr. Kerr’s research on over 1,400 patients has revealed that pre-death dreams and visions are extraordinary occurrences, that when studied in close detail, show evidence of purpose and humanizing of the dying process.
Dr. Kerr has received numerous awards throughout training that recognized his clinical performance, as well as his success as an educator and scientist.
Death is But a Dream
Dr. Kerr has recently published “Death Is But a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning in End of Life Dreams,” and a documentary of the same name will be coming out later in the year.
The results of Dr. Kerr’s studies has generated enormous response in the non-medical community, both nationally and internationally, through coverage that has included the New York Times, Huffington Post, The Atlantic, BBC, Scientific American and Psychology Today.
On this episode we will hear from Dr. Kerr about:
His background; how he developed an interest in psychology, medicine, and hospice care. How Dr. Kerr started studying end of life (ELE) dreams. About the detailed experiences studied in ELEs such as themes of reunion and guidance and the benefits of ELEs to patients and loved ones. About the connection of Dr. Kerr’s work to other esoteric end of life experiences, such as terminal lucidity or mental “gain in function.”
This interview is in American English
Credits: Ira Pastor interview video, text, and audio.
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If you liked this article, check out our interview with Dr. Michael B. Fossel!
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