John Lerma, M.D., currently serves as a consultant for several hospices and palliative units in Houston and San Antonio, Texas. He is widely known for his compassionate and loving care of hundreds of terminally ill patients, as well as his tenure as the inpatient medical director for the internationally renowned Medical Center Hospice of Houston, Texas. Because the inpatient unit is located in the heart of the largest medical center in the world, he has worked closely with MD Anderson Hospital, the leading cancer institute in the world in research and teaching. After obtaining a degree in pharmacy at the University of Texas at Austin, he entered medical school at the University of Texas San Antonio and, years later, finished his training in internal medicine. Over the last 10 years he has focused his career in the field of hospice and palliative medicine. Board-certified in internal medicine as well as hospice and palliative medicine, Dr. Lerma is recognized for his compassionate care of hospice and palliative patients as well as research in the field of pre-death experiences. While working at the Medical Center in Houston, he was involved with teaching hospice and palliative medicine to medical students, residents, and geriatric, oncology and palliative fellows from several institutions. As an international speaker, Dr. Lerma is recognized for his signature lecture, ''Pre-Death Experiences: A Hospice Physician's Perspective on Spirituality and the Terminally Ill.'' He is a frequent guest of local, national, and international media. Dr. Lerma is creating a non-profit company titled Hearts without Borders, which will take the hospice concept to underserved areas in South America. His organization's current project is to organize a hospice team and travel to several Mexican and South American cities to aid governments and physicians in giving birth to the wonderful gift of hospice.