About Joanne Wolfe, MD, MPH

Joanne Wolfe, MD MPH is the Chair of Pediatrics and Physician-in-Chief at MassGeneral for Children. She also serves as the Chair of Pediatrics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.   Dr. Wolfe previously served as the Division Chief of Pediatric Palliative Care in the Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Director of Palliative Care at Boston Children’s Hospital for nearly 30 years. She also served as the Vice President for Faculty Development at the Dana-Farber. Dr. Wolfe is Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.  She holds an MD degree (1990) from Harvard Medical School and an MPH (1998) from the Harvard School of Public Health.  

Dr. Wolfe specializes in pediatric supportive and palliative care, working together with an interprofessional team to provide an extra layer of support to seriously ill children and their families. She supports the primary team and families with delineating goals of care and complex decision-making. She also holds expertise in symptom management and quality of life interventions. Dr. Wolfe’s research focuses on easing suffering and promoting wellbeing in children with serious illness and their families. She also co-directs the multinational Pediatric Palliative Care Research Network.

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Locations

Mass General for Children (MGfC)
55 Fruit St.
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 888-644-3248

Medical Education

  • MD, Harvard Medical School
  • Residency, Boston Children's Hospital
  • Fellowship, Children's Hospital Boston / Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Accepted Insurance Plans

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Research

Dr. Wolfe?s research aims to improve wellbeing for seriously ill pediatric patients and their families. Together with her research team she focuses on identifying and measuring developmentally appropriate outcomes for patients and their families. They then systematically develop and rigorously evaluate interventions aimed at improving these outcomes. Her team?s research seeks to impact care throughout the illness trajectory across all ages from perinatal through young adults. Key interventions currently under development and evaluation include the impact of specialty palliative care interventions in children with advanced cancer and those with neurological impairment experiencing recurrent pain.

Publications

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