Introducing the palliative care doctors serving on the 2020 Palprac board
In a short series of blogs, we will be introducing the board members of Palprac ….
Dr Rene Krause
Palliative Medicine Course Convenor at UCT and Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town.

We are delighted to introduce Rene Krause whose passion for palliative care and medical education have made her the perfect person to sit on the board of our new NPO.
Mother, academic and practitioner
Dr Krause is a mother and a Family Physician who holds a masters in Palliative Medicine and a postgraduate diploma in Health Professional education. She is currently a senior lecturer in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Cape town and convenes of the postgraduate diploma in Palliative Medicine.
She also supervises masters students in Palliative Medicine and registrars in the Family Medicine Department during their Palliative Medicine rotation.
Incredibly, Dr Krause finds the time to work as a consultant in palliative care at Groote Schuur hospital, across this 900-bed hospital.
She has published many relevant papers contributing enormously to the development and growth of palliative care in South Africa. Her most recent appointment is to the board of the African Palliative Care Association.
Palliative care is comprehensive care
Asking Rene why she works in the field she says, “I work in palliative care because I love working with patients comprehensively. Palliative care is such a diverse discipline that enables me to learn something new on a daily basis.”
She is also a tree planter
Outside of work and parenting, Rene loves to plant trees. “Last year I planted 4 trees. This year I am planning to plant a row of Poplar trees, because when the wind blows they show their silver lining and their flexibility make them grow tall.”
Sounds like the ideal palliative care practitioner!