Meet the SWHPN Staff

Hersh Patel-Hernandez, Director of Education
 
Hersh Patel-Hernandez is a Palliative Care Social Worker at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and an Adjunct Professor at various universities/colleges. She has past experience in hospice, general medicine, community social work, and research/academia. She graduated with my doctorate degree from Capella University and her master's degree from the University of Southern California.

Hersh currently lives in Chicago with her husband and two cats. They are huge foodies who never eat at the same restaurant twice.
 

 Interim Executive Director 

Vickie Leff, LCSW, APHSW-C

We are pleased to welcome Vickie as the Interim Executive Director of SWHPN. Vickie has over 35 years of clinical experience in serious illness care including palliative, hospice and oncology care. She has been involved in SWHPN as a Board member and committee participant for many years. Most recently, Vickie was the Executive Director of the APHSWC Program.