Melissa Red Hoffman
MD, ND, FACS
Dr. Melissa Red Hoffman, better known as Dr. Red, is a trauma surgeon who utilizes her unique background to promote the integration of palliative medicine into the care of all surgical patients through her writing, speaking and podcasting.
Initially trained as a naturopath and a yoga teacher, Dr. Red now practices a unique blend of trauma surgery and palliative medicine.
Learn moreA prolific writer, Dr. Red has been featured in KevinMD, General Surgery News and JAMA’s "A Piece of My Mind."
Learn moreDr. Red speaks locally, nationally, and internationally about surgery and palliative care, grief, and surviving violent loss. She is a speaker at TEDx Asheville in March 2024.
Learn moreRecollections of a Trauma Surgeon
LISTEN
"My Father Was Murdered by Terrorists: Recollections of a Trauma Surgeon" on the JN Learning podcast from the JAMA Network. In this interview with JAMA deputy editor Dr. Ed Livingston, Dr. Red shares how her father’s tragic death led her to pursue a career in Surgical Palliative Care.
READ
Dr. Red’s essay “The Sound of Silence – When There Are No Words” was featured in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) as one of the 40 best A Piece of My Mind essays published in the last decade.
The Surgical Soul with Red MD
The surgical soul is an area deep in the abdomen, about the size of a silver dollar, centered on the head of the pancreas and surrounded by multiple structures and several large blood vessels. Dr. Ken Mattox, an international leader in the field of Trauma Surgery, defines injuries to this area as "soul wounds" as they are often deadly to the patient and are very challenging for the surgeon to access and to manage.
Inspired by its namesake, The Surgical Soul with Red MD dives deeply into the lives of surgeons, exploring their accomplishments and joy, as well as their struggles and pain.
If you've ever been curious about the secret lives of surgeons, this podcast is for you.