Denise Stahl is vice president of palliative and supportive care for the Optum Enterprise Clinical Performance team. She supports the development and sustainability of specialty palliative care programs and comprehensive advance care planning education for consumers and clinicians, while also facilitating the integration of primary palliative care across the enterprise. She is an oncology clinical nurse specialist with more than 25 years of experience working in hospice and palliative care and has expertise in advanced pain and symptom management and empathic communication strategies for patients with serious illness.
Stahl is an advocate for all issues related to improving care for people with serious illness. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation, chairs the Florence Wald Fellows donor circle and is an active member of the Coalition for Quality at the End of Life in Pennsylvania. She is former president of the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center, chair of the board of trustees for the Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing, and chair of the Joint Strategy Council for HPNA, HPCC and HPNF. She is a widely recognized EPEC and ELNEC trainer for clinicians and providers working in end-of-life care and is known locally, regionally and nationally for her expertise in palliative care.
Prior to joining Optum, Stahl served as executive director for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Palliative and Supportive Institute. She has taught at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of Medicine and Nursing, and the Community College of Allegheny County in Western Pennsylvania.