MEET DR. jaime

Lifestyle medicine palliative care physician certified yoga therapist female of color Chicago based pain management

I’m a dual board certified palliative care and lifestyle medicine physician and certified yoga therapist, with a background in internal medicine and Ayurveda. 

I’m also an AVID University of Kentucky fan, so come March, do not be surprised to find me sporting all gear blue and white. 

I relocated to Chicago in 2012 for my hospice and palliative medicine fellowship.
I remember entering fellowship with so much eagerness to learn.
I was particularly fascinated by pain management and admired how my attending physicians showed such an interest and deep respect for understanding a patient’s experience living with pain.
It wasn’t just, ‘Where’s your pain? How would you rate it, 0-10?..Ok here’s a Norco.’

While they had a vast knowledge of and experience in pharmacological pain management, they also understood the importance of non-pill interventions for pain and other symptoms. 

Over the years that’s where my interest started turning. 

More and more patients were asking me for ways to feel better that didn’t mean taking more pills. 

For the patients who were ok with using medications, the struggle to get their medications was getting tougher.
Stricter regulations and rising costs for all types of medications have continued to be a barrier to pain and symptom management. Also, I was starting to see the real life perceptions of my field.
Palliative medicine carries a lot of stigmas in society.

Palliative care means you’re dying. 
Palliative care means you’re giving up.
Those palliative docs are just going to give you morphine.

[By the way, all of these are myths!]

A memorable patient once told me, ‘You know Dr. Lewis, you make palliative care seem not scary at all!’
I replied ‘GOOD! That’s the point!’

I’m not here to instill fear. I’m here to support and to help you live life with more ease, and maybe even less pills. That’s it. 

I genuinely enjoy combining my specialties and wearing different hats in order to provide you personalized, holistic care. 

This isn’t your typical palliative care.

This definitely isn’t your typical yoga class.

I hope you take a step to work with me and experience a different type of supportive care today. 

Be well,

Dr. Jaime

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  • My practice style

    Are we a good fit?

    I practice evidence-based medicine, which I means make recommendations based on scientific data. Research is rapidly growing in the field of lifestyle medicine and yoga therapy, so I will always let you know when perhaps a lifestyle intervention or therapeutic yogic method may offer individual benefit based on clinical experience but perhaps does not yet possess robust scientific evidence. I like to balance science and modern research with ancient philosophy and traditions, so together we can develop a personalized lifestyle regimen that helps you feel better.

education & training

  • BS, Agricultural Biotechnology, University of Kentucky, 2001-2005

  • MD, Doctor of Medicine, University of Kentucky, 2005-2009

  • Residency, Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, 2009-2012

  • Fellowship, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital, 2012-2013

  • Board Certification, Lifestyle Medicine, The American Board of Lifestyle Medicine, 2021

  • Certification in Yoga Therapy, Pranayoga School of Yoga and Health, 2023

professional experience

  • Rush University Medical Center, Palliative Medicine Specialist, Supportive Oncology, 2013-2022

  • Loyola Home Health and Hospice, Medical Director, 2022-Present

publishings