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Melissa Red Hoffman

MD, ND, FACS

Dr. Red Hoffman is a trauma surgeon, hospice physician, TEDx speaker, and the author of a forthcoming book, Life After Violent Loss: A Trauma Surgeon's Guide to Surviving the Unspeakable, who utilizes her unique background to speak and write about death, dying, grief, loss and survival.

Surgeon

Initially trained as a naturopath and a yoga teacher, Dr. Red now practices a unique blend of trauma surgery and hospice care.

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Writer

Dr. Red's essays have appeared in HuffPost, JAMA, and KevinMD. She also writes The Surgical Soul with RedMD newsletter on Substack.

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Speaker

Dr. Red speaks locally, nationally, and internationally about surgery and palliative care, grief, and surviving violent loss. She was one of nine speakers at TEDx Asheville 2024.

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Making Meaning After Violent Death

More than half of Americans are survivors of at least one violent death. In this acclaimed TEDx talk, Dr. Red speaks as both a trauma surgeon and a survivor, naming what violent grief actually looks and feels like, and inviting communities to walk alongside survivors as they work to make meaning out of the worst days of their lives.

The Surgical Palliative Care Podcast

As one of just 100 U.S. surgeons currently board-certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Dr. Red created The Surgical Palliative Care Podcast to showcase the founders and the leaders of the surgical palliative care movement. Tune in to hear more about the rich history of the profession, to stay up to date on the latest research and to learn how to integrate palliative care into your practice. Hosted by Dr. Red and a variety of co-hosts, The Surgical Palliative Care Podcast aims to educate, foster community and provide mentorship to all those interested in making certain that all surgical and trauma patients receive the excellent treatment they deserve.