Elizabeth Fricklas, MMSc, PA-C, FAAHPM

Dynamic Physician Assistant with extensive experience at Duke University Health System, excelling in palliative care and symptom management. Proven track record in launching quality improvement initiatives and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance patient outcomes. Skilled in serious illness communication and medication therapy management, ensuring alignment of care with patient goals.

• Director, Palliative Care, Duke Center for Brain and Spine Metastasis
• Team Lead, Advanced Practice Providers, Duke Palliative Care
• Vice President, Physician Associates in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2023, 2025
• Graduate, Duke Clinical Leadership Program, 2024
• Board of Directors, Physician Assistants in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2021, 2023
• Representative, PAHPM to National Coalition of Hospice and Palliative Care, Quality & Advocacy Committees
• Steering Committee Member, DCBSM; Duke Cancer Institute Goals of Care Task Force
• Technical Expert, MACRA Palliative Care Quality Measures Project
• VitalTalk Facilitator, Duke PEACCE Corps
• Facilitator, Duke Health Center for Interprofessional Education and Care, 2024, 2025
• Instructor, CSU Shiley Haynes Institute PA Certificate in Palliative & Serious Illness Care
• Community Outreach Lead, Duke Palliative Care
• Co-Lead, Patient & Provider Experience and Wellness Workgroups
• DCI Philanthropy Ambassador

• Precepted and mentored PA students, residents, fellows, and DNP learners.
• Led onboarding, training, and clinical orientation for new advanced practice providers.
• Facilitated small-group instructional sessions for the Duke PA Program.
• Directed triage workflows and oversaw care coordination processes.
• Advised first-year health professions students through the Duke Navigators Program.

• North Carolina State Physician Assistant License, Active
• NCCPA Certification, 10/16/03
• DEA Registration, Active
• Certified in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
• Member, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM)
• Member, American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)

• Fricklas E, et al. Who’s on First: A Team Approach to Goals of Care. Poster presented at: Vizient Connection Summit; Las Vegas, NV. 2021. Also presented at: Lean and Six Sigma Conference; Virtual. 2021.
• Kimball J, Fricklas E. Palliative and serious illness patient management for physician assistants. J Palliat Med. 2023;26(8):1168–1169. doi:10.1089/jpm.2023.0365
• Van Swearingen A, Fricklas E, et al. DCBSM and CIMARa: Collaboration Hubs in CNS Metastases Care. Poster presented at: Pharmacology & Cancer Biology Research Retreat; 2023.
• Price M, Owolo E, Rowe D, Prado I, Dalton T, Sperber J, Hockenberry H, Herndon J, Crowell K-A, Howell EP, Johnson E, Johnson M, Fricklas E, Jones C, Kamal A, Goodwin CR. Inpatient and outpatient palliative care utilization rates of patients with spine metastases. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). Published April 10, 2025. doi:10.1097/BRS.0000000000005127
• Rowe DG, Woo J, Yoo S, O’Callaghan E, Rivera N, Crowell K-A, Dalton T, Fricklas E, Jones CA, Visgauss J, Bradley V, Mullikin TC, Johnson MO, Erickson MM, Goodwin CR. Trends in palliative care utilization in patients with bone metastases. J Palliat Med. Published October 15, 2025. doi:10.1177/10966218251388233
• Walling AM, Ast K, Harrison JM, et al. Patient-reported quality measures for palliative care: The time is now. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2023;65(2):87–100. doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.11.001
• Fricklas E. Contributing author. In: Dimitrov N, Halpern R, eds. Palliative Medicine and Hospice Care for Physician Associates: Specialty Review. Oxford University Press; Forthcoming August 2025.

• Duke Cancer Network Challenging Case Conference
• Duke Cancer Network Didactic on Pain
• Duke Cancer Review
• Duke Cancer Institute APP Lecture Series: Goals of Care
• APAO 2022 Regional Meeting (Virtual): Palliative Radiation Panel
• Duke Neurosurgery Grand Rounds
• Duke Brain Tumor Center Supportive Care Symposium
• DCBSM Colloquium
• American Brain Tumor Association Webinar: The Emotional Journey of Brain Metastases,
• Facilitator, CSU Shiley Haynes Institute PA Certificate in Palliative & Serious Illness Care
• Duke Palliative Care Fellowship Didactics: Basics of Spine Tumors for the Palliative Care Clinician
• AAHPM Panel on Quality Measures
• RAND: Development of Palliative Care Quality Measures for Outpatients in a Clinic-Based Setting

• Sub-Investigator, PROTECT Trial: Multi-center RCT assessing inpatient palliative care in hematologic malignancies undergoing stem cell transplant.
• Treating Clinician, STEP-PC Trial: NIH-funded study comparing stepped versus early integrated palliative care for advanced lung cancer.
• Project Contributor: Piloted and evaluated a distress-reduction skill training program for providers of seriously ill patients using guided imagery, PMR, and breathwork.
• Co-Developer: DCBSM patient satisfaction survey QI study (IRB-approved).