Dr. John Lerma

Dr. John Lerma is the author of Into The Light and is widely known for his compassionate and loving care of hundreds of terminally-ill patients as well as his tenure as the inpatient medical director for the internationally renowned Medical Center Hospice of Houston, Texas. He currently serves as a consultant for several hospices and palliative units in Houston and San Antonio, Texas.

Since the inpatient unit is located in the heart of the largest medical center in the world, he worked closely with MD Anderson hospital, the leading cancer institute in the world in research and teaching. After obtaining a degree in pharmacy at The University of Texas at Austin, he entered medical school at the University of Texas San Antonio and years later finished his training in Internal Medicine. Over the last ten years he has focused his career in the field of hospice and palliative medicine.

While working at the Medical Center in Houston, he was involved with teaching hospice and palliative medicine to medical students, residents, geriatric, oncology and palliative fellows from several institutions including but not limited to, Baylor College of Medicine, The University of Texas Medical School, and MD Anderson Cancer Institute.

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  • Experiences of the Dying

    Board certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Dr. John Lerma described his work with terminally ill patients and their pre-death experiences. Matthew, a blind nine-year-old with a terminal illness was one of his most remarkable patients. The boy said he was in contact with...More »
  • Pre-Death Encounters

    Known for his compassionate care of hundreds of terminally-ill patients, Dr. John Lerma presented his research into hospice patients' pre-death experiences. Such patients shared similarities in their experiences, typically seeing a "light entity" or human-appearing spirit being...More »