Jessica Emshoff, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP

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SPPCP Foundation is pleased to share the recipient of the 2026 Fudin Award for Pain and Palliative Care Mentorship: Jessica B. Emshoff, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP.

This award was developed in partnership with the Society of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacists Foundation (SPPCP Foundation) in 2022 in the name of Jeffrey Fudin, PharmD, FCCP, FASHP, FFSMB. Dr. Fudin, an icon in the clinical pharmacy, palliative care, and pain management field, passed away in 2022 from colorectal cancer. 

Dr. Emshoff, professor of pharmacy practice at Northeast Ohio Medical University, is the fifth recipient of this award. Praise from Dr. Emshoff’s nomination by Gillian Myers, MSN, APRN-CNS, ACHPN, OCN: “I have had the privilege of working alongside Jessica for 10 years – first as her trainee, and later as her colleague as we grew the Palliative Care team at our hospital. From day one, she demonstrated true mentorship: easing my initial trepidation into confidence by deliberately allowing me to lead patient interviews and interprofessional rounds while providing just-in-time coaching that was both rigorous and deeply supportive.

“Her signature question – “What are you most proud of today?” – still echoes in my daily practice, reminding me to celebrate growth amid the emotional weight of end-of-life care.

“Through her course directorship, student advising, and system-wide projects, Jessica continues to elevate the next generation. She is the embodiment of the Fudin Award – clinician, educator, and mentor extraordinaire. I cannot imagine a more deserving recipient.”

SPPCP Foundation President Chris Herndon, PharmD, said of this year’s honoree, “Dr. Jessica Emshoff exemplifies the transformative power of mentorship, fostering confidence, clinical excellence, and compassionate leadership in the development of pain and palliative care pharmacists. On behalf of the SPPCP Foundation, we are honored to recognize her with the 2026 Fudin Award for the enduring impact she has made on her trainees, colleagues, patients, and the future of our profession.”

My path to specializing as a pharmacist began with a desire to make a tangible difference in alleviating suffering, which naturally drew me to palliative care. In my final year as a student-pharmacist during the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences, I witnessed firsthand how optimized pharmacotherapy could transform patients’ experiences with serious illness. I was lucky to have strong mentorship that led me to residency training, where I further developed my skills managing complex pain, symptoms at end of life, and supporting holistic goals of care. By integrating comprehensive symptom management, holistic support, and a collaborative team approach, palliative care perfectly mirrored my own values: delivering evidence-based medication expertise with deep patient- and team-centered compassion.

What solidified my commitment was the profound interprofessional nature of the work and how my teams integrated my trainees into the core of our patient-care processes, providing valuable learning experiences pertaining to the pharmacotherapy or pain and symptom management, as well as life lessons about grief, loss, and the meaning of a “good death.”

I am deeply honored and humbled. The Fudin Award recognizes mentorship in pain and palliative care, an area that has become the most meaningful extension of my clinical mission. To be nominated by cherished colleagues Ashley Conger, Maria Ganios, Stephanie Ryan, and Gill Myers and selected by the SPPCP Foundation feels like validation for the calling I’ve poured my heart and soul into.

This recognition is especially rewarding because mentorship is inherently bidirectional. My trainees challenge me, inspire me, and we carry forward better care for patients. Seeing former residents like Maria implement services that serve hundreds, or Ashley thrive as faculty, reminds me why this work matters. This award belongs as much to the incredible learners and colleagues I’ve had the privilege to work with as it does to me. Thank you to the committee and to everyone who supported the nomination.

The patients, their families, my students and the exceptional colleagues I work alongside. Every day brings opportunities to relieve suffering – whether through precise opioid conversions, design of adjuvant therapies for refractory pain, or supporting a family through end-of-life transitions. While the profound gratitude of patients and families is incredibly sustaining, there is an equally deep fulfillment in knowing that my knowledge, skills, and training have directly lessened the burden of suffering.

The interprofessional teamwork and the visible growth in learners is similarly motivating. Asking students and residents, “What are you most proud of today?” keeps our collective focus grounded amid emotional challenges that are inevitable with end-of-life care. Watching once- anxious trainees become confident, compassionate clinicians who go on to mentor others creates a ripple effect that extends far beyond my individual practice. Combined with an evolving evidence base, this keeps the work intellectually stimulating. Ultimately, it’s the belief that excellent symptom management and mentorship improve care for countless patients that renews my energy daily.

I love creating psychologically safe environments where learners can think critically, make decisions, reflect, and develop their authentic practice style. My philosophy centers on layered learning, gradual autonomy, just-in-time coaching, and emotional safety anchored with that signature question about pride in the day’s work.

The most rewarding part is witnessing transformation: from hesitant students leading patient interviews and presenting to interprofessional teams, to residents launching services like anticoagulation clinics or growing into faculty. I enjoy the bidirectional exchange – learning from their fresh perspectives while sharing hard-won clinical and teaching insights. Seeing mentees excel and pay it forward is profoundly fulfilling. Mentoring extends my impact beyond patient care to build the future of our field.

• Build strong clinical foundations while embracing the emotional and relational sides of palliative care.
• Seek out interprofessional experiences early. Focus intentionally on learning how to be a collaborative and respecting teammate.
• Create psychological safety for yourself and others you interact with; vulnerability and reflection accelerate growth.
• Find mentors and be a mentor. Relationships are everything. Prioritize investing in people over checking off items from your to-do list.
• Stay curious. Curiosity is a gateway to creativity and serves as an excellent vaccination against burnout. It connects you more deeply to your daily work and fosters long-term fulfillment.
• Protect your resilience. Routinely ask yourself what you’re most proud of in order to anchor yourself amid the intensity of pain management and end-of-life care.