Clinical Leadership · East Texas
Meet our Medical Director
Every patient at Azalea Hospice is overseen by a board-certified physician who specializes in hospice and palliative medicine — real expertise, real accountability, from a doctor who has cared for East Texas families for more than 35 years.
Khoren Hekimian, D.O.
Medical Director, Azalea Hospice and Palliative Care
D.O., F.A.C.O.S., C.M.D. · NPI 1588695423
Dr. Khoren Hekimian is a board-certified osteopathic physician who has cared for East Texas families for more than 35 years. He holds Certificates of Added Qualifications in Hospice & Palliative Medicine and in Geriatric Medicine — the two fields most central to comfort-focused end-of-life care.
A Texas A&M University graduate and a Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons, Dr. Hekimian completed his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and trained in general surgery before building a career in East Texas. He has served as a hospice and nursing-home medical director throughout the Tyler area for decades — bringing the judgment of a career surgeon and the heart of a small-town doctor to every Azalea patient's plan of care.
01 —Credentials & specialization
Decades of training, focused on comfort.
Accreditations & certifications
Medicare-Certified
CMS Provider · NPI #1700460789
Texas-Licensed
DSHS HCSSA #020708
CHAP Accredited
Independent accreditation
02 —The role
What a medical director actually does
Medicare requires every hospice to have a physician overseeing clinical care. But the title hides what really happens day to day:
Reviews every patient's care plan
Before admission and during weekly team meetings. Nothing happens to your family member without physician oversight.
Coordinates with your attending physician
Your family's regular doctor stays involved. The medical director works alongside them — not instead of them.
Manages complex symptoms
When standard medications aren't working — pain, nausea, breathing trouble — the medical director adjusts the plan and supervises.
Certifies hospice eligibility
Two physicians (your attending plus the medical director) confirm prognosis. This is what Medicare requires.
Available for clinical questions
Families and nurses can escalate to the medical director when something needs a doctor's call.
03 —Why this matters
A medical director who is actually engaged.
Not every hospice has a medical director who is truly involved. Some have a name on a form. We do not operate that way.
Dr. Hekimian attends our interdisciplinary team meetings, reviews certifications, and is reachable when our nurses need a physician's judgment. That clinical rigor is what separates good hospice care from paperwork.
Questions about our clinical team?
Call to speak with our intake nurse, or book a conversation about what care could look like for your family.
See also about Azalea and our referral information.