Joanna Hart

Dr. Joanna Hart is a practicing pulmonary and critical care physician at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research broadly focuses on improving the serious illness experience for patients and families. Her approach recognizes that serious illness affects families, not just patients. Dr. Hart has particular research interests in how patients, families, and clinicians communicate with one another; the role families play in supporting patients with serious illnesses; how health systems integrate family members into care; and complex, value-sensitive shared decision making. She uses mixed methods, community-engaged research, longitudinal cohort studies, and clinical trials to advance the well-being of patients and their family members. Through all of her work, Dr. Hart emphasizes health equity and empathy.

Dr. Hart received her undergraduate degree in sociology from Northwestern University and also completed a certificate program in academic-based community service. She earned her medical degree from the University of Virginia and completed her internal medicine, pulmonary, and critical care training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She also earned a Masters of Science in Health Policy Research from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Hart provides inpatient critical care services at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and has a long-standing outpatient pulmonary clinic at the Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center. Dr. Hart is also deeply committed to the education of the next generation of physicians and health care leaders, particularly those facing structural barriers to their success in medicine. Dr. Hart proudly lives and works in the diverse West Philadelphia community.