Too often we view death as an enemy to be denied, fought, and defeated, rather than as an inevitable and natural part of life. The medical establishment routinely buys into this view, promoting aggressive treatments by overselling technology and hope, which only prolong needless suffering for terminal patients and their families. But as this candid book shows, we don’t have to go down that path.
As a long-time palliative and hospice care physician, Dr. Ken Pettit talks openly about a subject few of us want to discuss. His focus is not on prolonging life, but on helping terminal patients die “a good death,” with the best possible quality of life up to the end.
Based on his work with hundreds of patients and families, as well as the life-altering experience of watching family and friends face death, Dr. Pettit illuminates, in the vivid detail that only an insider can provide, the failings of our medical establishment. He empowers us to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and prepare, with pro-active clarity, for our final days. This book will help all of us—patients, families, and medical professionals—break our collective silence about death, so we can develop better ways of discussing, treating, and encountering what we will all someday face.
They Call Me Doctor Death: How Our Medical System Robs the Terminally Ill of Comfort, Time and Dignity
Dr. Kenneth Pettit has practiced as a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine for over 20 years. He is a member of the American Board of Osteopathic Family Physicians, the American Osteopathic Association, and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine where he is a designated Fellow. He is board-certified in Family Medicine and holds two board certifications in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He is a Certified Hospice Medical Director. As a Medical Director, he has served in various disciplines ranging from inpatient palliative care programs, home health care, skilled nursing facilities, wound care, and hyperbaric medicine centers. He has privileges to practice Hospice and Palliative care at several local hospitals.
His passion for providing medical support and care to the terminally ill, prompted his desire to write and publish his first book in 2021 entitled “They Call Me Doctor Death”. Dr. Pettit’s candid and human-based assessment of the current gaps in the healthcare system are thought-provoking and provides much-needed insight into the journey of terminally ill patients as they navigate through the healthcare system,
Customer Review
Customer Review
“I really enjoyed Dr. Pettit’s insights about palliative care and hospice. Having had several loved ones become sick, hospitalized and eventually go through the dying process, I wish I had read this sooner.
The book flows well and is an interesting read, educating and enlightening at the same time.”
Customer Review
Dr. Kenneth Pettit is a highly experienced and certified hospice and palliative medicine physician, with over 20 years of experience in the field. He is a member of the American Board of Osteopathic Family Physicians, the American Osteopathic Association, and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, where he is a designated Fellow. He is board-certified in Family Medicine and holds two board certifications in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He is a Certified Hospice Medical Director.
In his role as Medical Director, Dr. Pettit has served in various disciplines, including inpatient palliative care programs, home health care, skilled nursing facilities, wound care, and hyperbaric medicine centers. He has privileges to practice Hospice and Palliative care at several local hospitals. Over the years, he has served on several hospital committees.