Dr. Giamportone is an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Southern Maine in Portland. Her clinical experience in medical social work was honed in the areas of hospice and palliative care departments prior to moving into academia full time. In addition to her social work responsibilities, Kimberly served as faculty for the physician hospice/palliative fellowship and was an integral member of the hospital ethics committee. Prior to USM, Kimberly was an Assistant Director of Field Education and an adjunct social work instructor for many years. She is passionate about elevating students on a path of continued life-long learning and critical thinking. She incorporates real world examples into the curriculum and has taught on a wide range of courses including Human Behavior in the Social Environment, Field Education, Grief & Loss, and Medical Social Work.
Kimberly’s dissertation and continued research interests are focused on the facilitators and barriers to medical team cohesion within interprofessional teams. Additional interests include application of the code of ethics in guiding social work practice, and preparing social work students for future employment in healthcare settings.
