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Given the unique nature of the hospice industry, a Medical Director has slightly different duties and responsibilities than a general practice doctor. As Big Bend Hospice’s (BBH) Medical Director, Dr. Suchak is responsible for supervising BBH Hospice Physicians who create a comprehensive medical care plan for each patient and ensures that every member of the hospice team and the patient’s family or other caregivers are knowledgeable about the care plan. As the needs of the patient change, the medical team adjusts the plan accordingly and informs everyone of the changes.

Dr. Suchak is a clinician-educator and an Associate Professor in the Department of Geriatrics at Florida State University College of Medicine (FSUCOM) in Tallahassee, Florida. She is the Director of Year 1 Clinical Skills at FSUCOM, Medical Director of FSU TeleHealthTM, and Chair of the FSUCOM Telehealth Committee

Dr. Suchak is board certified through the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She has extensive clinical and leadership experience in a multitude of healthcare environments.

Dr. Suchak completed her medical school training at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune, India. She completed her internal medicine residency training at The Union Memorial Hospital (UMH), Baltimore, Maryland and furthered her training by completing a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine also at UMH. She has previously held academic appointments at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and at The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, as well as other administrative roles such as Medical Director, Extended Care Unit, VA Medical Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Deputy Medical Director, House Calls for Elders Program, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, New Jersey.

Dr. Suchak is the immediate Past President of the Florida Geriatrics Society and serves as co-chair for the American Geriatrics Society International Activities Special Interest Group. She is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Geriatric Medicine Board Exam Committee. She regularly serves as the international coordinator and member of the organizing committee for the International Congress on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. She has presented regionally, nationally, and internationally on various geriatric medicine and medical education topics. In 2012, Dr. Suchak received the Clinician of the Year Award by the American Geriatrics Society.

As BBH Medical Director, Dr. Suchak will also ensure all safety and health standards are being met. It’s her job to use unbiased data to ensure the care provided is of the highest level and to check for any areas that need improvement.