Leadership

Fellowship program director

Don Courtney, MD, FACP

  • Medical School: Univ. of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS
  • Residency: Eastern Virginia Grad. School of Medicine Fellowship (Geriatrics): Univ. of Tenn.-Memphis

Dr. Courtney enjoys having interesting patients in front of him and interested trainees beside him. He’s been involved in research of health care delivery and outcomes research almost every year of practice, in addition to patient care and teaching responsibilities. He was part of the Medicaring project in 1999-2001 that demonstrated innovative palliative care programs for patients with advanced heart disease or advanced lung disease could have major impacts on quality of life. He’s also interested in improving care at the end-of-life for patients with degenerative neurological diseases.

Associate program director

Tyler Kilgore, MD

  • Medical School: University of Louisville School of Medicine
  • Residency: Grand Strand Medical Center, Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Fellowship: Virginia Tech Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital; Roanoke, VA

After being raised near the Appalachian Mountains, educated at the University of Louisville, and trained in Internal Medicine at Grand Strand Medical Center, Dr. Kilgore joined the field of Hospice and Palliative Medicine to better help patients craft care plans that meet their needs and respect their values. Having the privilege of guiding people as they navigate the most difficult times of their life is often challenging but always rewarding. When he is not at work he enjoys cooking for friends, traveling and spending as much time on the water as possible.

Core Faculty

Stephen Meyer, MD HMDC

  • Medical School: Windsor University School of Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts
  • Residency: Mt Sinai Hospital, Chicago, IL
  • Fellowship: Hospice and Palliative Medicine – Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, WI

Dr. Meyer joined the Grand Strand Team in September 2018 and maintains a clinical practice on the inpatient palliative medicine service. Dr. Meyer has a keen interest in both undergraduate as well as graduate medical education in the realms of primary and specialty level palliative medicine with particular emphasis on communication skills and supportive oncology to alleviate the multiple layers of physical and non-physical suffering in the seriously ill.

Lisa Tarbert-Smaldone, MD

  • Medical School: Northeastern Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH
  • Residency: Summa Health Systems, Akron, OH IM/PEDS

Dr. Tarbert-Smaldone has practiced medicine on The Grand Strand for over 20 years, as a Pediatrician, Hospitalist, Rehabilitative Director and Hospice and Palliative Care. She served as Medical Director and Rehabilitation Physician at Tidelands Health Rehabilitation Hospital. She has served as teaching and attending in Geriatric/Internal Medicine since 2017 at Grand Strand Medical Center. Dr. Tarbert-Smaldone is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine and now Core Faculty for Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine.

Dr. Tarbert-Smaldone is dedicated to a high level of care for her patients, with dignity, honest and caring communication being her primary focus.

Dr. Smaldone enjoys serving the community and spreading joy in many ways, especially through her local church with her husband and three children.

Ines Pereyra Heyward, ACHPN, FNP-C

Ines Pereyra Heyward, ACHPN, FNP-C is experienced in delivering specialty level palliative care in the inpatient setting and has been a member of the Grand Strand Palliative Care team since July 2023.

Born and raised in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Ines moved to the United States in 2004 and eventually found her way into nursing before falling in love with palliative care. She is bilingual in Spanish and English.