Harvard Health

Rachelle Bernacki, MD

Contributor

Dr. Rachelle Bernacki is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, senior physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and medical director of the Center for Geriatric Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH). As a geriatrician and palliative care clinician, the overarching goal of her work is to improve the quality of care and long-term outcomes of seriously ill older adults. Her areas of expertise are focused on advance care planning, communication, implementation science, and the integration of palliative care and geriatrics into population health and surgery.

Dr. Bernacki also served as the associate director of the serious illness care program at Ariadne Labs, and is board certified in palliative medicine, geriatrics, and internal medicine. She is a fellow of both the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) and the American Geriatrics Society, and currently serves on the board of directors of AAHPM. In 2022 Dr. Bernacki received the BWH Senior Faculty Mentoring Award.