Michael Nisco

Biography

Michael Nisco, M.D., M.B.A., is Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine and Palliative Medicine at the University of California, Irvine, Health System where he also serves as Director of Palliative Care Services. Nisco received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, completed a Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at Harvard Medical School Center for Palliative Care, and earned a Master of Business Administration in Health Care Management from the University of California, Irvine Paul Merage School of Business. His career has included founding and directing multiple hospice and palliative care programs and fellowship programs at institutions affiliated with UC San Francisco Medical School, Stanford Medical School, UC Irvine Medical School, and others. He previously served as Chief Medical Officer for Hospice Hawaii and later for Amedisys, one of the nation’s largest home health and hospice organizations, overseeing clinical operations across more than 40 states and supporting the care of approximately 30,000 patients daily.

Dr. Nisco has held numerous leadership positions in national organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization as National Palliative Care Director and Chair of the National Ethics Committee. He has been a two term board member of the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board and has served as an expert consultant for the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee, the Department of Justice, and CMS through their Quality Improvement Organization. He was a founding member of the Physician Champion Committee for the California POLST Initiative and co-authored the initial California POLST form.

Dr. Nisco has been recognized with the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine "Visionary" Award and received special recognition from the National Health Ministry of the People's Republic of China for his contributions to the development of hospice and palliative care in China. He has served as an official delegate to China for the International Hospice and Palliative Care Association and has delivered numerous invited keynote lectures throughout China on topics including advance care planning, palliative care standards, and ethical challenges in global palliative medicine. At UCI Health, he has led the development of system-wide advance care planning documentation templates and interdisciplinary education programs across multiple medical specialties.

Education

• B.S. in Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 1990
• M.D. in Medicine, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 1994
• M.B.A. in Health Care Operations and Management, University of California, Irvine Paul Merage School of Business, 2010

Distinctions

• Special recognition for outstanding service to the development of Hospice and Palliative care in China, National Health Ministry, People's Republic of China, 2016
• Visionary Award for exemplary contributions to the field of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2017
• Fellow, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (FAAHPM)
• Special recognition for outstanding service as National Palliative Care Director and Chair of the National NHPCO, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, 2015
• Fellow, American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP)