Program Leadership

Vishesh Pathak, DO

Fellowship Program Director (PD) & Director of Medical Education

Dr. Pathak received his undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech. He attended medical school at Nova Southeastern where he received his Osteopathic Degree in Medicine. He then completed his internal medicine residency at University of Miami, JFK regional campus followed by a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at the same program.

Dr. Pathak has been an Associate Medical Director with Trustbridge since 2017 and has been part of the core-teaching faculty since that time. He has held several academic titles including Associate Program Director for the Hospice Palliative Medicine Fellowship, Outpatient Educational Director while also serving as an Assistant Professor at FAU, University of Miami and Kiran Patel College of Medicine.

Dr. Pathak is dedicated to educating future medical professionals about the principles of hospice and palliative medicine with a focus on elder care advocacy. In his free time, Dr. Pathak enjoys spending time with his family while staying active by playing basketball and golf.

Faustino Gonzalez, MD, FACP, FAAHPM

Fellowship Associate Program Director (APD) & Associate Medical Director

Dr. Faustino Gonzalez is an Associate Medical Director at Trustbridge. He has previously held the position of Chief Medical Officer and has been a Hospice Medical Director since 2001. Dr. Gonzalez is board-certified in Hospice & Palliative Medicine. He holds fellow status in the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Faustino Gonzalez is a Peer Reviewer for The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He has published 12 peer reviewed case reports, and he is the co-author of a guideline for managing hypoglycemia in non-diabetic patients at the end of life. His main interests are difficult conversations and Ethics at the end of life.

Dr. Gonzalez attended Colgate University and the College of the City of New York. He attended medical school at the Universidad Central del Este in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic.

Ashley M. Hagood, MBA, C-TAGME

Medical Education Manager

Ashley M. Hagood serves as the Medical Education Manager for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship. With more than 8 years of experience in Graduate Medical Education (GME), Ashley has extensive expertise in accreditation, program administration, trainee support, interview season, and medical education operations. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with residents, fellows, faculty, and institutional leaders to promote excellence I medical training and professional development.

Ashley holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Health Care Leadership and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in General Management. Her professional interests include leadership development, organizational effectiveness, and advancing innovation within medical education.

Richard S. Levene, DO, HMDC, FAAFP, FAAHPM

Fellowship Program Director Emeritus

Affiliated Assistant Professor
Department of Family Medicine & Community Health
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Dr. Levene holds a Bachelor of Science, Biology and Psychology from Syracuse University and attended medical school at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine of New York Institute of Technology. He was the Roxane Visiting Scholar in Hospice & Palliative Care at Northwestern Memorial Hospice and Northwestern University Medical School.

Dr. Levene was the founding Director of Medical Education and Program Director for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship in 1997. He has recently retired from his position as Program Director but remains active as a consultant and faculty member.

Dr. Levene previously held positions for Vice President of Medical Affairs and has been a Hospice Medical Director since 1997. Dr. Levene is board certified in Family Practice and Hospice & Palliative Medicine; he also holds fellow status in the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Katherine Brazzale, MD

Chief Medical and Administrative Officer, Hospice Division, Empath Health

Dr. Katherine Brazzale joined Trustbridge in 2008 when she was selected as the first-ever physician for Trustbridge’s Fellowship program. Following her fellowship, Dr. Brazzale served as Associate Medical Director. In addition, she has also served as Director of Pediatrics, where she works to enable medically frail children to spend time at home surrounded by their family.

Dr. Brazzale is a member of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Physician Leadership, and the Palm Beach Medical Society. She earned her medical degree from University College London and later served as chief resident at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital. Dr. Brazzale is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine. She has also served in faculty positions at Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami and the Department of Family Medicine at Nova Southeastern University.

Vanessa Perez Cardona, MD

Associate Medical Director and Team Physician

Dr. Perez was born and raised in Cali, Colombia. She moved to the US in 2003 and has been in Florida ever since.

Dr. Perez attended Boynton Beach High school and then went to complete her undergraduate degree in Biology/Pre-med at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Perez attended Ross University School of Medicine and graduated in 2016. Furthermore, she completed her residency in Internal Medicine at UM/JFK PBGME 2016-2019.

Dr. Perez finished her Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine fellowship in 2019-2020. Upon completion of her fellowship, she was hired as a full time Associate Medical Director and assists in developing the next future physicians in Hospice and Palliative Care as a team doctor.

Faneece Embry, MD

Associate Medical Director and Team Physician

Dr. Embry holds a Bachelor of Biological Sciences from University of Georgia in Athens, GA and attended medical school at Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency and Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/JFK Medical Center Palm Beach Regional GME. Dr. Embry is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice & Palliative Medicine. Dr. Embry is originally from Atlanta, GA and enjoys music, theater and yoga.

Jonathan Ganesh, MD

Associate Medical Director and Team Physician

Dr. Jonathan Ganesh was born and raised in Queens, New York. He received his medical education training in Saint Lucia, West Indies. Dr. Ganesh received residency training at Larkin Community Hospital in South Miami, FL where he served as Chief Associate of the Family Medicine Residency Program and Geriatric Coordinator. Dr. Ganesh is Board Certified in Family Medicine and currently completing his Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Training with The University of Miami/HCA Florida JFK Hospital Palm Beach Regional Graduate Medical Education Consortium. After the completion of his fellowship training, Dr. Ganesh will be joining Trustbridge as an Associate Medical Director in Broward County. Dr. Ganesh enjoys traveling and outdoor adventures.

Stuart Bagatell, MD

Associate Medical Director and Inpatient and Palliative Care Physician

Stuart (“Stu”) Bagatell is the youngest of 3 boys, a father of two teenage sons (Benjamin and Henry), and a devoted husband to Rikki (married in July 2000). Stu moved to West Palm Beach in 2009 after completing his undergraduate and graduate training in Internal Medicine at Tulane University in New Orleans before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city.

Stu joined the faculty of the Internal Medicine Residency Training program at University of Miami, JFK Medical Center in 2009 and recently stepped away from academics after serving as the Program Director of the residency program from 2017-2024. Stu has always been fascinated and energized when working with patients and their families dealing with serious advanced illness, and is the co-author of a book entitled, “Permission to Die: Candid Conversations about Death and Dying”.