Our Story

Partnering to Shift the Paradigm

When our co-founders Dr. Bob and Elizabeth Uslander met, they quickly discovered they had a shared vision to transform Palliative and End of Life Care for all. They’ve since partnered in their life and work–providing medicine for the body and the soul in their private Southern California medical practice since 2017. Through their work and community engagement, they offer communities of patients, families and healthcare providers the support, community, education, and resources needed to ensure dignity through every chapter in life. 

True to their passion for service, they established the Empowered Endings Foundation to ensure the financial burden is never an obstacle to people receiving the care they need and the dignity they deserve. Together with their dedicated Executive Board and incredible team, they’ve worked to ensure Empowered End of Life Experiences™ by removing barriers to accessing the Community, Resources, Education, Support needed.  

Elizabeth Uslander, MSW MTS, has refined her expertise in spiritual care and medical social work through decades of education and experience supporting people through life’s major transitions. All too often she witnessed the obstacles they encountered in their search for whole-person, trauma-informed, culturally-sensitive care. As an educator and advocate for patients, families and professionals in her fields of expertise, she hopes to create a new paradigm of Healthcare—one that allows for the needs of each person and their loved ones to be heard and honored. Her greatest gift is transforming the pain of loss into the possibility of new life.

Dr. Bob Uslander, MD, has practiced medicine for over 30 years. As an Emergency Physician for more than 20 years, Bob witnessed the gaps in our healthcare system firsthand. Over the years, his growing concern about patients’ quality of life and ability to influence their own treatment drove him to transition to Palliative and Hospice Care. Since then, his practice of Palliative and End of Life Care has focused not just on the physical needs of his patients, but also on their emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual needs. He is passionate about eliminating the fear that keeps people from experiencing peace and joy at any stage of life.