Location(s)
Biography
P. Michael Kalis II, J.D., M.D., M.A., is an experienced physician with Baptist’s palliative care program. Palliative care physicians, such as Dr. Kalis, are exclusively devoted to caring for patients and improving the quality of life for patients who are coping with a serious illness while they are in the hospital.
Medical Education
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Cincinnati, Ohio
Residency
Kettering Health Network
Kettering, Ohio
Fellowship
Hospice and Palliative Care, Wright State University
Kettering, Ohio
Certification
American Board of Internal Medicine
Professional Memberships
Florida Board of Medicine
State Medical Board of Ohio
Escambia County Medical Society
Meet your Doctor
What led you to become a doctor or choose your focus of medicine?
I chose to specialize in palliative medicine because I saw an unmet need in the community for this type of care - for both patients and their families.
What about your line of work do you find most rewarding and why?
Easing suffering and possibly helping patients and their families achieve physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual support during post-trauma and end of life situations is important. This motivates me daily to take some of the burdens off of people in need.
In your opinion, what’s the most important factor in a doctor-patient relationship?
Trust is vital to a great relationship. Through that trust and a solid foundation, we can work together to achieve the patient’s goals.
What do you find most encouraging about the work you do?
In palliative medicine, we care for the patient’s family as much as we treat the patient. Many people view death as an end, forgetting that no patient exists completely in isolation. Family and friends who remain continue to struggle with grief and a sense of loss. It is very affirming to have a family member or friend communicate, sometimes even well after their loved one’s death, that the care we provided eased the burden of the person’s passing.
Describe one of the top ways you ensure each patient receives the quality, personal health care he/she deserves.
I try to make certain that patients receive adequate time to discuss their concerns and to have their questions answered. In many instances, palliative care centers on listening, reaching an understanding and doing our best to meet the individual patient's specific needs.
Do you have any specific medical interests?
In those heart-wrenching situations when a patient's family must decide about further life-sustaining treatment, I stress the importance that the patient's physical death proceeds as comfortably as, and with the most dignity, possible.