Dr Steven Kanner, in medicine, success means cures, remissions, and survival rates. Steven P. Kanner, MD, sees it another way. He worked for almost 40 years as an oncologist. He aided patients in their cancer fights. Then Dr. Kanner took a tough but rewarding road. Many doctors avoid it. Hospice and palliative care demand deep emotion. Now named one of America’s Top 50 Doctors, Dr. Kanner eases pain. He upholds dignity. He aids patients and families at life’s end.
Contact & Appointment Information
- VITAS Healthcare
- Phone: 877-543-3141
Department: Hospice & Palliative Medicine
About Dr Steven Kanner
Dr Steven Kanner did not leave medicine behind. His shift from cancer care to hospice shows real insight. Patients need comfort, truth, company, and kindness when cures fail. At VITAS Healthcare, Dr. Kanner guides those with short lives left. He helps them find peace, ease, and honor in their time.
From Fighting Cancer to Guiding Life’s Final Journey
Dr Steven Kanner spent 38 years as an oncologist. He faced cancer head-on. He joined patients through hard chemo treatments. He cheered remissions. He grieved the deaths. Cancer work calls for strength, sharp science, and a steady heart. Dr. Kanner gave all that.
Time revealed a key fact. Medicine can heal even without a cure.
Treatments grew better. Patients lasted longer with serious illnesses. Many hit a wall. Hard care brought only pain, not gain. Dr. Kanner watched families face fear, doubt, and hurt at the close. That pulled him to hospice care.
He saw death not as defeat. Hospice extends kind care. It values good days over more days.
A Hospice Physician with a Heart for Humanity
Dr Steven Kanner now works as a hospice doctor at VITAS Healthcare. His job feels close and makes a big mark. His goal sounds plain but takes skill. Patients get comfort, honor, and calm in their last days, months, or years.
Hospice differs from hospital work. It gives doctors time. Time to hear. Time to watch. Time to bond. Dr. Kanner cherishes that.
“I see patients at home. I like that best,” he says. “They rest in their space. In bed. With family near.”
Home feels safe for Dr. Kanner’s patients. They have loved ones, old habits, and fond pasts there. He holds firm. No need for a hospital if the disease is far along. Hospice keeps them home.
The Man Who Brings Laughter into the Room
Meet Dr Steven Kanner, and you laugh.
His grave job does not dim his warmth, jokes, or bright eyes. He offers quips, fun pokes, or cheery words. They calm patients and kin fast.
Dr Steven Kanner steps into a home with more than skills. He brings himself. His calm style cuts stress. His grin comforts. His laughs show joy counts, even near death.
He plans this way. Laughter heals, too. It adds heart, links people, and soothes when talk fails.
His team nurses, helpers, social workers, chaplains, and caregivers love his vibe. His fun talk builds ties. It fosters care and strong hearts.
Serious About Comfort, Relentless About Care
Dr Steven Kanner jokes, but his care never wavers. Symptom relief, ease, and family aid get his full focus.
Hospice needs close watch. Pain ease, breath help, skin care, food, and mood balance matter. Dr. Kanner uses years of know-how here.
He tends about 60 patients at once. Monthly visits suit most. More come if care ramps up. A usual day means seven to ten stops. Each has fresh needs, pasts, and kin.
Every home call differs. Each gets his all.
A Day in the Life of a Hospice Physician
One day starts with Diane. She is 86, with bad COPD. Her name changed for privacy, like all.
Dr Steven Kanner washes his hands. He nears her bed softly. She sleeps calmly. Oxygen hums low. He speaks gently. He respects her peace. Stethoscope to the chest. He listens hard.
He asks the helper, “How is she today?”
She shares on sleep, eating, and bowels. Dr. Kanner hears every word. He pulls out a blood pressure tool from his bag. He wraps her arm. He tells each step. He checks hips and heels for sores. Skin breaks fast.
The helper aids as he checks her back. Breath sounds tell tales. No notes catch it all.
He does this for each patient that day. The check ends, but the call goes on.
Listening to Caregivers
After seeing each patient, Dr. Kanner talks with their caregivers. These are often family members drained in body and heart. They discuss drugs, signs, and issues.
Charts help a lot, Dr. Kanner says. But caregivers share the true picture.
He notes the patient’s needs. He also tracks caregiver struggles. Hospice centers on families, he believes. Healthy caregivers aid patients best.
This focus builds family trust. Dr. Kanner grasps it all: health facts, feelings, the human side.
Education and Early Training
Dr Steven Kanner bases his kind care on solid school and hands-on work.
- He finished at Howard University in Washington, DC. That school stresses top work, help, and guidance. He got his MD from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. There, he built strong science skills and care with heart.
- Dr. Kanner did his internship and residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital via the University of Miami. It offers tough, varied cases. He handled hard problems in many fields. His skills in checks and treatment grew sharp.
- He worked two years at the National Cancer Institute in Maryland. He dove into cancer studies and care. That shaped his start in the field.
A Strong Path in Cancer Care
In 1972, Dr Steven Kanner started his own cancer office. It launched a long-term run in treating cancer. For years, he guided folks through sudden bad news.
Cancer work taught him toughness, modesty, and medicine’s bounds. It stressed clear talk. Those ideas now anchor his hospice role.
In 1987, still in his practice, he joined VITAS Healthcare part-time. That link led to his next phase.
Full Shift to Hospice Work
Dr Steven Kanner left his cancer office in 2011. He moved to hospice full-time at VITAS in Hollywood, Florida. His know-how and lead role proved key.
Now he acts as Florida Medical Director for Palliative Medical Associates under VITAS. He sets care rules, backs teams, and boosts top palliative and hospice care for patients.
Why Dr. Kanner Ranks Among America’s Top 50 Doctors
Dr Steven Kanner earned a spot as one of America’s Top 50 Doctors. It marks more than doctor skills. It salutes a life of kind service.
He stands out for:
- Close to 40 years in cancer care
- Smooth shift to hospice and comfort care
- Top skill at bedside and in talks
- Focus on patient worth and ease
- Lead work at VITAS Healthcare
- High regard for families and caregivers
- His path shows medicine’s human heart.
- The Ideas That Shape His Care
Dr Steven Kanner holds that end-of-life care needs time, weight, and full focus. Hospice means full presence, not quitting.
When fixes fail, care grows vital. He brings ease, time together, laughs, truth, and honor.
He meets patients as they are: body, heart, spirit. He turns tough times into bonds and calm.
Conclusion: A Life of Kind Service
Dr Steven Kanner, MD, aids the sick in the fight to end. From battle to the last calm days, he serves. His hospice work shows medicine honors life, not just length.
As a Top 50 Doctor, he models deep care, full ears, and human touch to the end.
FAQs
Q1. Who is Dr. Steven P. Kanner, MD?
Dr. Steven P. Kanner is a hospice and palliative care doctor. He ranks among America’s Top 50 Doctors. His work includes 38 years in oncology.
Q2. Where does Dr. Kanner practice?
He works at VITAS Healthcare.
Q3. Does Dr. Kanner still practice oncology?
No. He left private oncology in 2011. Now he does hospice care full-time.
Q4. Does Dr. Kanner visit patients at home?
Yes. He feels patients belong at home when possible. He visits them often there.
Q5. Is Dr. Kanner involved in medical leadership?
Yes. He leads as Florida Medical Director for Palliative Medical Associates at VITAS Healthcare.
Q6. What is Dr. Kanner’s medical specialty?
His specialty is Hospice and Palliative Care. He stresses comfort and quality of life for those with grave illnesses.
Q7. What does a hospice physician do?
A hospice doctor treats pain, symptoms, and emotional strain. He aids patients and families at life’s end.
