NHPCO Celebrates the Life of Dr. Bernice Catherine Harper

For Immediate Release
July 11, 2024 

(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the NAHC-NHPCO Alliance mourn the recent passing of Dr. Bernice Catherine Harper, MSW, MScPH, LLD, and celebrate her remarkable life of leadership and service to our professional community and the world. Dr. Harper’s lifelong leadership had profound and lasting positives impact across social work; hospice care; and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).

Dr. Harper was one of the first Black women to earn a Master of Science in public health from Harvard University, among other notable distinctions. Her career trajectory encompassed pivotal roles at institutions like the City of Hope National Medical Center, where she honed her expertise in hospice care and social work. As an author, Dr. Harper’s influential works, including “Death: The Coping Mechanism of the Health Professional,” highlighted the complexities of death and dying and provided insights into coping mechanisms for healthcare professionals. Her contributions continue to shape the landscape of hospice and palliative care today.

In 1999, Dr. Harper played a pivotal role in launching what was then known as the Foundation for Hospices in sub-Saharan Africa, which had a particular focus on supporting AIDS patients. The organization, which was a program of NHPCO from 2004 to 2017, is now known as Global Partners in Care. It supports access to compassionate care around the world through partnerships, research and education, and raising awareness of the need for access to hospice and palliative care.

Dr. Harper’s advocacy also impacted hospice care domestically, particularly in her pivotal role in integrating hospice care benefits into Medicare. To date, the Medicare Hospice Benefit has made dignified end-of-life care accessible to nearly 30 million Americans, and counting. She worked with NHPCO on ensuring access to hospice care for groups who have been historically marginalized, including serving as a founding member and Chair of what was then known as the National Hospice Organization’s Task Force on Access to Hospice Care by Minority Groups and is now known as the NHPCO Diversity Advisory Council. In 1993, Dr. Harper was honored with the NHPCO Person of the Year Award. A few weeks prior to her death, NHPCO announced a new award that honors Dr. Harper’s legacy. The Dr. Bernice Catherine Harper Trailblazer Award will honor NHPCO members who exemplify Dr. Harper’s spirit of innovation and compassion, her commitment to advancing DEIB within their organizations, and her passion for providing high-quality, culturally appropriate, person-centered services.

“Dr. Harper was an inspirational leader for all of us. She showed so many hospice leaders, including myself as a provider, how to develop and implement culturally appropriate programs and outreach. That legacy will live forever in the form of better care, and an ever-growing focus on accessibility,” said Ben Marcantonio, Interim CEO of NHPCO, and Chief Integration Officer for the NAHC-NHPCO Alliance. “One thing that made Dr. Harper a strong leader was her presence and engagement within the community. Anyone who took part in NHPCO conferences and National Hospice Foundation Galas when Dr. Harper was active will remember her as a key contributor to the events and thought leadership that drove our community forward. She will be deeply missed. We extend our sympathies to Dr. Harper’s family, and our gratitude for the many ways she shaped our past, present, and future.”

About NHPCO and the NAHC-NHPCO Alliance

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is the nation’s largest and oldest membership association for providers who care for people affected by serious and life-limiting illness. Our members deliver and expand access to high-quality, person-centered interdisciplinary care to millions of Americans. NHPCO is currently in the process of affiliating with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) into a new national organization.

The NAHC-NHPCO Alliance brings together two organizations with more than 90 years of combined experience serving providers of quality care in the home to form one new association. This historic alliance creates a national organization representing providers of home care, home health, hospice, and palliative care, forming the most powerful voice and resource the home care community has seen. The integration process underway is expected to continue through the beginning of 2025. While leadership explores a permanent name, the new organization is operating under the interim name the NAHC-NHPCO Alliance. Find the latest on the NAHC and NHPCO websites.

Press Contact
Elyssa Katz
Ekatz@nhpco.org
571-281-0220