Director of Palliative Care Services
UCI Health
Bio: Michael Nisco, MD MBA FAAHPM HMDC
Dr. Michael Nisco is a national leader in palliative medicine who directs the Palliative Care Services program for the University of California, Irvine Health System. He oversees the academic and clinical mission across multiple hospitals and clinics, including the fellowship, inpatient services, and all outpatient palliative care programs. His work strengthens serious illness communication, advance care planning, and interdisciplinary education across the system.
He has founded and led palliative care programs at UC San Francisco and UC Irvine, and served as faculty for the Stanford pallaitive medicine fellowship program. His leadership extends across California, where he has founded and developed palliative care programs for major health systems. He has also consulted nationwide as a consultant to health systems building high quality programs.
Dr. Nisco is one of the founding authors of the California POLST Paradigm and helped shape the statewide approach to documenting and honoring patient preferences. He is a former board member of the NHPCO and served as Chair of its National Ethics Committee. His national service includes an expert consultant on hospice for CMS and serving as an ad hoc consultant to the MedPAC. He currently serves as President Elect of the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board.
Dr. Nisco completed medical school and an MBA at the University of California, Irvine, residency at Loma Linda University, and fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. Internationally, he has partnered with academic centers and governmental agencies across China to develop programs, deliver keynote lectures, and support national physician training initiatives.
Dr. Nisco teaches and writes on program development, POLST, advanced communication, and motivational interviewing for goals of care. He is known for clear thinking, disciplined program design, and a strong commitment to expanding quality, patient centered palliative care nationwide.
Thursday, March 5, 2026
2:30pm - 2:55pm PST
Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose