Robert K. Horowitz, M.D.

As a Palliative Care specialist, I take care of people with cancer and other serious illnesses. We aim for the best possible quality of life for them and their families, with two primary goals: easing pain and other symptoms of the disease and its treatment; helping align the treatment with their personal goals.

My colleagues and I collaborate closely with each person's oncologists and other providers, to coordinate an individualized treatment plan that meets each person's unique needs. I strive to know the patients I care for well so that our treatment plan honors their unique character, goals and preferences.

It is deeply gratifying to work closely with people who are confronting the intense challenges of serious illness – and to collaborate to ensure the best possible care.

Conditions I Treat

- Palliative care for all cancers and other serious illnesses

Professional Background

Dr. Rob Horowitz is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics, and is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Hospice & Palliative Care Medicine. He worked as a rural Emergency Physician for 14 years until 2012, when he moved his professional home to the URMC division of Palliative Care, where he works with children and adults who have serious illness in hospital, office and home settings. He was named Interim Chief of the Palliative Care Division in 2015. Dr. Horowitz also founded and served as Medical Director of URMC's Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program from 1999 until 2015.

In addition to his clinical duties, Dr. Horowitz is Director of the University of Rochester School of Medical & Dentistry's Year 2 and Year 3 Comprehensive Assessments, which are longitudinal formative assessments of student communication skills, medical knowledge and professionalism utilizing patient-actor interviews, multi-source feedback, peer- and self-assessments, and other modalities. He also teaches medical students in multiple other small and large group settings and facilitates several groups for clinicians, including Balint groups for physicians and Nurse Practitioners, and a support group for Palliative Care Unit nurses, techs and others.

Research