Katherine Kortes-Miller
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work and Palliative Care Division Lead, Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health (CERAH), Lakehead University
An unconventional death educator and researcher with a passion for palliative care and improving end of life care for all
Media
Talking About Death Won’t Kill You | Kathy Kortes-Miller | TEDxKanata
An unconventional death educator with an equal parts wry and wise delivery style, Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller is committed to showing her audience that talking about death and dying won’t kill you. Using stories and research, Kathy extends an invitation to view death as not a taboo subject - but rather a shared life experience. Audience members walk away with shifted perspectives and a deep understanding that talking about death, without knowing or needing all the “answers”, actually brings us closer to our loved ones than we ever imagined possible. Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller, MSW, PhD thinks about dying and death a lot. She knows thinking about it – and teaching and researching about it – helps her to embrace life full on. An unconventional death educator with a passion for palliative care and improving end of life care for all, Kathy has inspired and challenged a generation of healthcare providers to be prepared to care for individuals who are dying, as well as their families, regardless of the setting. She has been teaching and researching at Lakehead University for over a decade leveraging her experiences as a cancer survivor, and as a palliative care provider, to challenge us to have the important conversations about dying, death and life. Kathy strives to make an impact with her teaching and research to discover, share and communicate the information that we are all "dying to know." This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
The Current CBCRadio/Podcast
"I think it's time that we take death out of the closet," says Kathy Kortes-Miller, an assistant professor at Lakehead University's School of Social Work.
Podcast - Talking about death won't kill you!
Death Goes Digital, October 24, 2016Online
URL: http://www.deathgoesdigital.com/podcast/talking-about-death-kathy-kortes-miller
Podcast by Peter Billingham
OA6 Talking about death won't kill you; introducing die-alogues
Published by BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care
2015 Death holds a significant place in societies despite not being a direct or first-hand experience for many. Fewer people now die in their homes surrounded by family, and we have distanced ourselves from death by geography and the medicalisation of death...
Dying with Carolyn: Using simulation to improve communication skills of unregulated care providers working in Long-Term Care
Published by Journal of Applied Gerontology
2016 This article examines the development, implementation, and evaluation of a pilot project utilizing high-fidelity simulation (HFS) to improve frontline staff members' confidence and skills to communicate about death and dying in long-term care homes.
URL: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0733464815577139
Developing and implementing peer-led intervention to support staff in long-term care homes manage grief
Published by SAGE Open
2016 Front-line staff in long-term care (LTC) homes often form strong emotional bonds with residents. When residents die, staffs' grief often goes unattended, and may result in disenfranchised grief...
URL: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2158244016665888
Development of a palliative care education program in rural long-term care facilities
Published by Journal of Palliative Care
2007 In North America, people 85 years and older are the fastest growing age cohort and long-term care homes are increasingly becoming the place of end-of-life care. This is especially true in rural communities where services are lacking...
Biography
Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller is an assistant professor at the School of Social Work and the Palliative Care Division Lead at the Centre for Education and Research On Aging and Health (CERAH) at Lakehead University. Her research interests include enhancing palliative and end-of-life care for all Canadians, interprofessional education, high fidelity simulation and mentorship. She recently completed a two year research fellowship with the Canadian Frailty Network (CFN) and worked with Pallium Canada co-leading their Compassionate Communities initiative. Kortes-Miller is also the past chair of the board of directors for Hospice Northwest.
Recognition/Reconnaissance
Technology Evaluation in the Elderly Network Research Fellowship - $100,000
2014 - 2016
Thunder Bay Citizenship Spirit Award | Personal
2016
SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship - $40,000
2012 - 2014
Faculty Research Award - $ 8640
2012 - 2013
Additional Titles and Affiliations
Past Chair, Board of Directors, Hospice Northwest
Research Grants
Valuing the perspectives of LGBT older adults in Canada: An evidence based approach to developing inclusive research and policy agendas
Organization: SSHRC Insight Development GrantGrant amount: 63687
Details:
2016 - 2019 Co-Principle Investigator
Speaking Up and Speaking Out: A toolkit for healthcare professionals caring for older LGBT adults facing the end of their lives
Organization: Retired Teachers of OntarioGrant amount: 24750
Details:
2017 Co-Principle Investigator
Good medicine: Supporting elderly individuals at home in Northwestern Ontario
Organization: Thunder Bay CommunityDetails:
2008 - 2013 Co-Investigator
Improving Public Engagement in Advance Care Planning through peer- facilitated group activities
Organization: Canadian Frailty NetworkGrant amount: 100000
Details:
2016 Co-Investigator
Interdisciplinary End-of- Life Care Education Using High Fidelity Simulation in Long Term Care.
Organization: Technology Evaluation in the Elderly Network (TVN)Details:
2014 - 2016 Research Fellow
Dying alone: perspectives on the final stage of life from LGBT elders living in Ontario
Organization: Law Society of OntarioGrant amount: 15000
Details:
2016 Co-Principle Investigator