WILMA’s Leadership Institute: Meet Maria Sturchler

Snapshot of this year's Leadership Institute members
WILMA Staff,

WILMA’s 2026 Leadership Institute, an annual nine-month program, gives area women the opportunity to learn from leaders in the region, visit a range of local companies, and serve as each other’s personal board of directors.

WILMA’s Leadership Institute, an annual nine-month program, gives area women the opportunity to learn from leaders in the region, visit a range of local companies, and serve as each other’s personal board of directors. The program is part of the WILMA Leadership Initiative, created to empower women to lead with confidence and purpose. Meet institute member MARIA STURCHLER.

Maria de Lourdes L. Sturchler

Title:  Senior Medical Director of Inpatient Palliative Medicine & Hospice

Company:  Lower Cape Fear Lifecare

How long have you been with your current employer?  2.5 years

Alma Mater:  Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, and Nova Southeastern University

Prior career experience:

  1. Triple board-certified physician in Emergency Medicine, Hospice & Palliative Medicine, and Hospice Medical Director Certified.
  2. Former Chief Resident, Department of Emergency Medicine at Kaiser Permanente, San Diego Medical Center, California.
  3. Experienced former educator, with focus on mathematics, ESL, and gifted education. Advanced degrees in education and leadership.
  4. Former Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow at UCSD & Scripps Health fellowship program.  5. Former voluntary UCSD faculty member.
  5. Cared for patients at Scripps Health San Diego as a full-time board-certified palliative medicine physician.
  6. Served as Medical Director for Gentiva Hospice in San Diego and Compassionate Care Hospice in San Diego, CA.
  7. Medicolegal expert witness and CEO/President of Sturchler MD, Inc.
  8. Former board member of: SDCMS Champions for Health, Le Lycée Français de San Diego, Southern California Latinas in Medicine Chapter, & San Diego Harbor Police Foundation in support of Perkins K-8 school in Barrio Logan, San Diego, CA.

Current job responsibilities: I currently lead multiple inpatient teams of clinically excellent and deeply compassionate hospice and palliative medicine professionals and also care for patients admitted to multiple local Novant Health hospitals (New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, Brunswick Medical Center in Bolivia, and Scott’s Hill in Porter’s Neck).  Currently, I also have the privilege of serving on several Novant Health NHRMC Safety & Quality Committees. Additionally, I am also involved in educating medical students and residents in my role as Assistant Professor of the Department of Emergency Medicine at UNC School of Medicine.

Hobbies: Any activity with my husband Emmanuel, our 2 young children, and our shih tzu Cosmo, from beach days to couch snuggling, but also cycling, traveling, playing piano, and reading a good book.

To learn more about WILMA’s Leadership Institute and Initiative, go to https://www.wilmamag.com/leadership/

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Categories: WILMA Leadership