Dr. Friedman’s increased interest in Palliative Medicine began early in his career when, while working as a family physician, he began to address the unique needs of patients coping with cancer diagnoses.  Subsequently, he further developed his skills in pain and symptom management. In 2004, he founded the first hospital-based palliative medicine program in Northern Virginia at the Virginia Hospital Center.  He served as the medical director of that award-winning program for the next decade until leaving to join Virginia Cancer Specialists.

Locally, Dr. Friedman’s leadership roles have included mentoring many young palliative medicine physicians, chairing the Virginia Hospital Center Ethics Committee, and speaking frequently on pain management. Nationally, he has had the honor of serving as one of only ten physicians from across the country on the initial test writing Committee for the American Board of Internal Medicine, developing the board examination for palliative medicine. Throughout his distinguished career,