Kathryn Richards, MD
Hospice and Palliative Care
Highlights
Age Groups Seen
- Adult
Languages
- English
Gender
FemaleAbout Kathryn Richards
Biography
Dr. Richards is a staff physician in the Department of Palliative and Supportive Care in the Taussig Cancer Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. Her undergraduate degree was completed in chemistry at St. Louis University. She then attended The Ohio State University for her medical degree. Her residency was in Internal Medicine at The University of North Carolina. After residency she practiced as a hospitalist in central New Jersey. During this time, she decided to pursue a fellowship in Palliative Medicine. She secured a fellowship position in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. She completed fellowship in 2016 at the Cleveland Clinic. Since that time, she has remained on staff and practices inpatient palliative care in the eastern regional hospitals.
Dr. Richards’ dedication to patient care guided her into the field of Palliative Medicine. She believes that all patients deserve excellent care from birth and into their end of their lives. She has special interests in communication and symptom management for patients with terminal or advanced serious illnesses. She also believes that clear, empathetic communication is a critical for patients and their families, especially those with care transitions, new diagnoses or major changes in their care.
Dr. Richards is the Medical Director for the Regional Inpatient Palliative Medicine Program for the Eastern Region. She regularly rotates at Hillcrest, Marymount, and South Pointe Hospitals. She also has a strong interest in education and is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. In this role, she is an educator for a wide array of learners including medical students, nurse practitioners, residents and fellows.
Education & Board Certifications
Education
- Fellowship: Cleveland Clinic, 2016
- Residency: University of North Carolina Health Care System, 2013
- Medical Education: The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health, 2010
- Undergraduate: Saint Louis University, 2006
Board Certifications
- Hospice and Palliative Medicine: American Board of Internal Medicine, 2016
- Internal Medicine: American Board of Internal Medicine, 2013
Research & Publications
See publications for this provider. (Disclaimer: This search is powered by PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed is a third-party website with no affiliation with Cleveland Clinic.)
Industry Relationships
Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists collaborate with industry to advance medical breakthroughs. These partnerships help commercialize discoveries for public benefit while maintaining scientific integrity. To ensure transparency and minimize potential bias, Cleveland Clinic reviews these relationships and publicly discloses when physicians/scientists receive significant compensation for consulting, serve in fiduciary roles, receive royalties, or hold equity interests related to their work. We manage potential conflicts through approval processes, annual reporting, and targeted management plans.
As of 2026-04-13, Dr. Richards has reported no financial relationship with industry that is applicable to this listing.
In general, patients should feel free to contact their doctor about any of the relationships and how the relationships are overseen by Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about Cleveland Clinic's policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our Integrity in Innovation page.
Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers' discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.
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