Heather Bitar, D.O.

(877) 460-4673
Heather Bitar
Supportive Care Medicine Physician
Clinical Expertise
Palliative Care
Internal Medicine
Research Area
Education
Other Languages Spoken
Spanish
Appointments
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Supportive Care Medicine
Clinical Teams
Supportive Care Medicine
With modern medical advancements and people living longer with complex and chronic illnesses, we have to treat the whole person in addition to the specific disease.”
 
After receiving her Doctor of Osteopathy medical degree from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California, Heather Bitar, D.O., continued her training in internal medicine at Community Memorial Health Systems in Ventura, followed by a hospice and palliative medicine fellowship at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles.
 
Dr. Bitar chose to specialize in palliative medicine in order to help cancer patients cope with “the physical, psychosocial and emotional realms of their care, which, if not addressed effectively, can greatly affect the outcomes on patients' prognosis and overall quality of life.”
 
Dr. Bitar is drawn to City of Hope's “dedication to provide leading-edge and high-quality patient care.” She plans to advance the field of palliative medicine through teaching and research. Her areas of interests include implementation of programs that involve nonpharmacologic ways to manage pain, in addition to developing curriculum aimed at teaching others how to have ongoing value-based treatment discussions. She hopes to “get to know patients and their families, navigate them through their illness and tailor what treatments make most sense for them based on their values.”

Location

Education & Experience

Board Certifications

  • Hospice and Palliative Medicine

  • American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine

Degrees

  • 2014, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA

  • 2008, Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Fellowship

  • 2017-2018, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles, CA

Residency

  • 2014-2017, Internal Medicine, Community Memorial Health Systems, Ventura, CA

Professional Experience

  • 2018-present, Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Supportive Medicine, Department of Supportive Care Medicine, City of Hope, Duarte, CA

Awards & Memberships

Memberships

  • 2017-present, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine

  • 2015-2017, Ventura County Medical Association

  • 2015-present, American College of Physicians

  • 2014-2017, Women Physician Network of Ventura

  • 2014-present, American College of Osteopathic Internists

  • 2011-present, Sigma Sigma Phi National Osteopathic Honors and Service Society

  • 2010-2014, American Medical Women’s Association

  • 2010-present, Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California

Publications

Poster Publication
  • Bitar HN. “Religion & End of Life Practices: Greek Orthodox.” Understanding End of Life Practices, Springer. Manuscript in Preparation. Bitar HN, Cipta AM, Lee K, et al. A Unique Case Report on Methadone Used for Buga, S, Bitar, H, et al. “Cancer- Related Distress- An Institutional Experience.” - Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 06/2019.
  • Buga S, Mooney S, Patel P, Bitar H, Hillebrand L, Qamar S, Zachariah F, Banerjee C. “Methadone- demystifying an old pain killer Part II.” Oncology-Hematolog.ro. 2019;47(2):20-25.
  • Buga S, Mooney S, Patel P, Bitar H, Hillebrand L, Qamar S, Zachariah F, Banerjee C. “Methadone- Demystifying an old pain killer.” Oncology-Hematolog.ro. 2019;46(1):29-34.
  • Buga S, Banerjee C, Bitar H, Mooney S, Patel P. “Low-dose Ketamine in analgesia- a novel approach?” Oncology-Hematology +ro. Anul XII. Nr. 44 (3/2018): 20-23. DOI: 10.26416/OnHe.44.3.2018
  • Bitar H, Sherif S, Frugoli A, Ouellette C, Oster H. “Clostridium Difficile Infections in Hospital and Community Settings.” American College of Physicians, Marina del Rey, CA, 08/2015.
Presentations
  • American College of Physicians, National Conference Poster Winner 05/2016
  • American College of Physicians, State Conference Presenter, Monterey, CA 11/2015
  • American College of Osteopathic Internists, National Conference Presenter, Tampa, FL 10/2015
  • American College of Physicians, Southern California Region I Conference 3rd Place Poster Winner, Marina del Rey, CA