Katherine Kortes-Miller

Assistant Professor, School of Social Work and Palliative Care Division Lead, Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health (CERAH) Lakehead University

  • Thunder Bay ON

An unconventional death educator and researcher with a passion for palliative care and improving end of life care for all

Contact

Media

Social

Biography

Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller is an assistant professor at the School of Social Work and the Palliative Care Division Lead at the Centre for Education and Research On Aging and Health (CERAH) at Lakehead University. Her research interests include enhancing palliative and end-of-life care for all Canadians, interprofessional education, high fidelity simulation and mentorship. She recently completed a two year research fellowship with the Canadian Frailty Network (CFN) and worked with Pallium Canada co-leading their Compassionate Communities initiative. Kathy is also the past chair of the board of directors for Hospice Northwest.

Industry Expertise

Research
Education/Learning
Health Care - Providers
Program Development

Areas of Expertise

Gerontology
Palliative Care
End-Of-Life Care
Interprofessional Education and Care
LGBTQ
High Fidelity Simulation
Qualitative Research
Social Work

Accomplishments

Technology Evaluation in the Elderly Network Research Fellowship - $100,000

2014 - 2016

Thunder Bay Citizenship Spirit Award

2016

SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship - $40,000

2012 - 2014

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Education

Lakehead University

PhD

Education

2015

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies Specialization in the Social, Cultural & Political Contexts of Education

Dissertation: Death Education: Simulating the End of Life to Beginning Healthcare Providers.
Supervisor: Dr. Lisa Korteweg

Lakehead University

BSW (Hons.)

Social Work

1998

ON Clinical Placement: Thunder Bay Sexual Assault/ Sexual Abuse Counselling and Crisis Centre
*Graduated with First Class Standing

Affiliations

  • Past Chair, Board of Directors, Hospice Northwest

Media Appearances

Podcast - Talking about death won't kill you!

Death Goes Digital  online

2016-10-24

Podcast by Peter Billingham

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Death Education

The Current CBC  radio

"I think it's time that we take death out of the closet," says Kathy Kortes-Miller, an assistant professor at Lakehead University's School of Social Work.

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Research Grants

Speaking Up and Speaking Out: A toolkit for healthcare professionals caring for older LGBT adults facing the end of their lives

Retired Teachers of Ontario

2017

Co-Principle Investigator

Valuing the perspectives of LGBT older adults in Canada: An evidence based approach to developing inclusive research and policy agendas

SSHRC Insight Development Grant

2016 - 2019

Co-Principle Investigator

Dying alone: perspectives on the final stage of life from LGBT elders living in Ontario

Law Society of Ontario

2016

Co-Principle Investigator

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Articles

Dying with Carolyn: Using simulation to improve communication skills of unregulated care providers working in Long-Term Care

Journal of Applied Gerontology

2016

This article examines the development, implementation, and evaluation of a pilot project utilizing high-fidelity simulation (HFS) to improve frontline staff members' confidence and skills to communicate about death and dying in long-term care homes.

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Developing and implementing peer-led intervention to support staff in long-term care homes manage grief

SAGE Open

2016

Front-line staff in long-term care (LTC) homes often form strong emotional bonds with residents. When residents die, staffs' grief often goes unattended, and may result in disenfranchised grief...

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OA6 Talking about death won't kill you; introducing die-alogues

BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care

2015

Death holds a significant place in societies despite not being a direct or first-hand experience for many. Fewer people now die in their homes surrounded by family, and we have distanced ourselves from death by geography and the medicalisation of death...

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