Roberto Wenk is one of the pioneers of palliative care in Argentina and Latin America. He is a physician and lives in the city of San Nicolas, Argentina.
After earning a medical degree at the Universidad Nacional de Rosario in Argentina and a diploma in anesthesiology from the Colegio de Médicos in Rosario, he went on to work as an anesthesiologist from 1974 until 1983. In 1983 he began to work in palliative care in addition to his work in anesthesiology. Since 2000 he has dedicated his work exclusively to palliative care.
In 1984 he created the Programa Argentino de Medicina Paliativa with a group of volunteers of the San Nicolas branch of the Argentinean League against Cancer (LALCEC); in 1994 this was affiliated with FEMEBA becoming the foundation of the Programa de Medicina Paliativa – Fundación FEMEBA.
Dr. Wenk is currently director of the Programa de Medicina Paliativa – Fundación FEMEBA (Medical Federation of the Province of Buenos Aires) in Buenos Aires. Since 1994, he has combined care of patients and families with graduate teaching in multiple formats (different combinations of theoretical online and bedside activities), and basic research in palliative care.
He retired from clinical practice at the end of 2014 and, after seven years teaching palliative care at the undergraduate level in two universities in Argentina, he assigned this task to other members of his team. He is currently working in the development and use of online clinical records for palliative care, and in improving synchronous and asynchronous virtual education (i.e., new and more functional models, better quality of exams, etc.).
Dr. Wenk has contributed extensively to palliative care at national, regional and international level. He is a founding member and past president of both the Argentinean Association for Palliative Medicine and Care (AAMyCP) and the Latin American Association for Palliative Care (ALCP). From 2005-2009 he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (now the Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance – WHPCA).
Dr. Wenk has a long association with the IAHPC and completed his second term as a member of the Board of Directors in 2014. He first joined the Board in 2007 and was elected Chair for the period 2008-2014. At that time he was a member of different working groups: Pallipedia, Opioid Price Watch and IAHPC Palliative Care Essentials (Essential Practices, Prescription Opioid Essential Package).
Currently he is in charge of functional design and content of Pallipedia, and member of both the IAHPC Palliative Care Certification Process and IAHPC first consults Global Palliative Care Database working groups.
His main hobby is building radio-controlled submarines and battle tanks. He has built (apart from the radio controls, power units and batteries) two 1:50 scale submarine models (TR-1700 and Los Angeles class), both of which have been involved in various naval modeling meetings and technical exhibitions. He is currently building a 1:13 scale model of the TAM (Tanque Argentino Mediano).
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How your gift supports the IAHPC mission
Achieved: $24,941
Goal: $30,000
83%
Education
Your gift funds the operational costs of our online courses taught by globally recognized experts who volunteer their time and provide educational resources relevant to palliative care topics. It also supports scholarships that enable palliative care workers to attend educational events and congresses, and allows us to maintain Pallipedia, the free, live, online dictionary.
The goal of this pillar is to implement strategies, resources and tools that will improve the competencies of the global workforce for appropriate palliative care delivery. We have two programs under this pillar plus many other resources for our members.
Your gift enables us to build and strengthen the partnerships that accelerate global, regional, and national advocacy for palliative care. We advocate for its integration into primary health care under universal health coverage and effective access to essential palliative care medicines and packages for people of all ages. Your gift supports our work to prepare delegates and participate in technical consultation meetings of the relevant UN organizations.
The goal this pillar is the integration of palliative care into primary health care within the spectrum of universal coverage to improve access to adequate care for patients in need. We offer the following to our members:
Documents on Human Rights and Access to Medicines and Care
Research
Your gift enables us to continue doing research that provides guidance and recommendations for action, based on responses from the global palliative care community. Such research includes our recent evaluation of the impact of euthanasia and assisted dying practices on palliative care workers and the use of essential medicines for palliative care. It also supports the costs of publications focused on research relevant to palliative care.
The goal of this pillar is to design and implement projects that lead to the integration of palliative care into health policies, resolutions, and key documents. Our studies help us provide guidance and recommendations, and take action based on the responses from the global palliative care community.
Your membership enables you to participate in IAHPC projects such as the:
Your gift enables us to continue our in-depth reporting and book reviews in Pallinews, as well as media campaigns that raise awareness about the need to increase access to care and support for patients and families.
We are a small organization that allocates over 80% of our budget to mission driven programs and to the maintenance of our free website. We need operational funding to continue the work.
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IAHPC members: When you gift a 2-year membership to a colleague in a low- or middle-income country, we extend your membership by 6 months.
