Michelle M. Milic

Michelle M. Milic, MD, specializes in critical care and pulmonary medicine at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH). Before joining MedStar, she was medical director, Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and an associate clinical professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of California San Francisco (UCSF).

Dr. Milic divides her time between the intensive-care unit and the outpatient pulmonary clinic. The focus of her practice in both of these settings is palliative care. With her interest in advanced lung disease, symptom management, and end-of-life care, she sought and obtained certification in hospice and palliative care.

Her clinical activities have emphasized patient care and medical education. In her previous position at UCSF, Dr. Milic served on the Pulmonary Curriculum and Program Committee and was involved in the education and mentoring of medical students, residents, and fellows. Additionally, she has experience in creating and implementing a communications curriculum for pulmonary fellows that addressed advanced care planning and goals of care in the outpatient setting. At MedStar, she has continued her involvement with curriculum building with the development of a communications workshop for critical care nurses.

To keep current with advances in research and to promote improvements in the clinical care of critically ill patients, Dr. Milic is active on the committees of several professional societies. These societies include the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, the American Thoracic Society, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American College of Chest Physicians, and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Her medical degree is from Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, OH. She completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago, and a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Boston Medical Center.

Research Interests

Dr. Milic’s research interests include the following:

• Pulmonary medicine
• Critical care
• Palliative and end-of-life care
• Pulmonary rehabilitation
• Management of advanced lung disease
• Medical education

Selected Research

Spiritual Needs of Patients with End-Stage Lung Disease or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Dr. Milic is an investigator on this pilot project sponsored by the Department of Medicine, MGUH. This work is designed to provide chaplains with a model for assessing the spiritual needs of patients with end-stage disease.

Communicating with Patients' Families and Physicians About Prognosis and Goals of Care

Palliative care requires communication about the patient’s prognosis and goals of care. In this research, Dr. Milic and colleagues developed a workshop in communication skills for critical care nurses. After the workshop, nurses reported greater skill and confidence in assessing families' understanding of the prognosis and goals of care, addressing emotional needs, and contributing to family meetings. This research was published in the American Journal of Critical Care (2015;24:e56-64. doi: 10.4037/ajcc2015855).

View Dr. Milic’s publications on PubMed.

Visit Dr. Milic’s clinical practice page.