Category: Press Release

For Immediate Release:
March 7, 2022

Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Awards Celebrate Outstanding Volunteers

(Alexandria, Va) – This week the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) will present its annual Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Awards during the 2022 Leadership and Advocacy Conference hosted at the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center (March 7 – 9).

These awards, presented at the conference keynotes sessions, recognize hospice volunteers who best reflect the universal concept of volunteerism in its truest sense—serving as an inspiration to others. The honorees have made significant contributions to hospice programs in the areas of care delivery, organizational support, and teamwork and have stepped up to meet challenges that have been brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Volunteers are an integral part of every hospice organization, and these selfless people truly represent the best of what we can be. That’s why we celebrate the volunteers who demonstrate remarkable service, compassion, and commitment in service of hospices in their communities. Their gift of caring has a profound impact on patients, families, and the communities they serve, and we cannot thank them enough for the support they provide,” said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach.

The 2022 recipients of NHPCO’s Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Awards are (click on the links below to learn more about each honoree):

Patient and Family Service Award:
Henry “Hank” Newman
The Elizabeth Hospice, Escondido, CA

Specialized Volunteer Service Award:
Jane E. Lewis
Montgomery Hospice & Prince George’s County Hospice, Rockville, MD

Organizational Support Award:
Daniel Poel
Harbor Hospice, Muskegon, MI

Young Leader Award:
Erin Tilly
Suncoast Hospice/Empath Health, Clearwater, FL

We Honor Veterans Volunteer Service Award:
Tom Howard
Hospice of Marion County, Ocala, FL

“Hospice volunteers play an indispensable role in enabling hospice and palliative care organizations to offer the highest-quality care and support possible for the people they serve. By sharing their time, energy, and expertise, volunteers bring compassion and caring to the lives of those in need,” added Banach.

These volunteer awards were created and are administered by NHPCO’s MyNHPCO Professional Community, a section of the organization’s membership that promotes the contributions and skills of the different professional disciplines that make up the hospice interdisciplinary team, including volunteer management. The awards are presented as part of the Leadership and Advocacy Conference, the premier conference for leaders and aspiring leaders working to advance the field of hospice and palliative care.

Learn more about hospice and palliative care at NHPCO’s CaringInfo.org website.

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This year’s Leadership and Advocacy Conference includes curated content that is available on-demand through May 31, 2022. Registration for on-demand access is available at www.nhpco.org/lac2022.

Contact:
Jon Radulovic
Communications Director
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
March 6, 2022

The NHPCO Leadership and Advocacy Conference is the First Hospice and Palliative Care Gathering of this Size in More than Two Years 

Conference Marks 40 Years of the Medicare Hospice Benefit

(Alexandria, Va., and National Harbor, Md.) – More than 825 hospice leaders from across the country gather this week in National Harbor, Md. for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO’s) 2022 Leadership and Advocacy Conference, or LAC22, with nearly 100 additional participants signed up for access to online, on-demand content through the virtual conference. The annual conference is the premier gathering for hospice leaders to learn, network, reflect, and recharge, so they can help their teams continue to provide high-quality, patient- and family-centered, interdisciplinary care. LAC22, with preconference sessions March 4-5 and the main conference March 7-9, is unique in that the hospice community and palliative care community has largely foregone in-person gatherings for two years due to COVID-19.

“The hospice and palliative care community has faced incredible challenges – from a national shortage of health care workers to a global pandemic. Through it all, these professionals have stepped up to the challenge. They reinvented how they deliver care to keep their teams, patients, and communities safe, while continuing to deliver the high-quality care that every American deserves through serious illness and at the end of life,” said NHPCO President and CEO, Edo Banach. “Now, with the majority of Americans vaccinated, and with COVID indicators moving in the right direction for weeks, we are finally able to safely gather as a fully vaccinated group to learn, to be inspired, and to look to the future. I’m so pleased NHPCO is able to give back to this community at this time.”

This year marks 40 years since Congress passed the legislation that created the Medicare hospice benefit, making the conference location just a few miles from the Capitol especially appropriate for this year. As part of the official conference program, LAC22 attendees will reflect on the history of hospice, celebrate the pioneers who worked to make hospice part of our national health care landscape, and look ahead to how the community can collectively advocate to provide hospice and palliative care to more Americans, in more communities, with more equitable access. Secretary Leon Panetta, who was serving in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 and was one of the key advocates for the hospice benefit legislation, will speak to attendees on the final day of the conference.

The conference program offers Continuing Education/Continuing Medical Education (CE/CME) for Compliance Officers, Nurses, Physicians, and Social Workers who attend in person and an on-demand library for Compliance Officers, Nurses, and Physicians, with education topics ranging from leadership, to outreach, from value-based contracting to clinical models. Keynote speakers include Emily Esfahani Smith, Journalist and Author of The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life that Matters, Mark Shulman, World-Renowned Drummer and Author, and Mara Liasson, Political Analyst for FOX News and National Political Correspondent for NPR.

Banach added, “Hospice and palliative care are built around the idea of meeting people’s needs. This work is truly a calling. As the national organization representing these incredible care providers, I am honored that we are finally able to bring the community together again to meet their needs, so they can go back home, recharged, to support their staffs, partners, patients, and communities.”

Follow NHPCO’s 2022 Leadership and Advocacy Conference on social media: #LAC22. Learn more about the conference and register for the on-demand library of conference content at nhpco.org/lac2022.

The next NHPCO conference will be the fully virtual 2022 Interdisciplinary Conference, September 19-21, 2022. In 2023, NHPCO will implement new timing for its two main conferences. The 2023 NHPCO Interdisciplinary Conference will take place in April, as a virtual event and the 2023 Leadership Conference will take place October 16-18, 2023, in Little Rock, Ark. (preconference sessions October 14-15). Learn more at nhpco.org/conferences.

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Contact:
 Jon Radulovic
 Communications Director
 Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
March 4, 2022

Rory Farrand Has 20 Years of Health Care Experience

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) today announced that Rory will join the organization as the Vice President of Palliative and Advanced Care. Farrand, who will start in her new role at the end of this month, brings more than 20 years of proven health care success in focus areas including palliative care, geriatric primary and acute care, geriatric psychiatry, assisted living management, Alzheimer’s/dementia care, clinical health care management and operations, clinical research, innovative program development, nursing, and training. She has been an active member of NHPCO and of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA), serving on volunteer committees and advisory councils with both organizations.  

NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach said, “As the need for community-based palliative care continues to grow across the country, NHPCO members are ideally positioned to meet that need. At the same time, NHPCO is the organization that can lead the effort to define palliative care for the health care sector and for consumers. Rory comes into the position with deep knowledge and experience delivering palliative care services as a provider, plus a member’s understanding of how NHPCO can continue improving our support for those providers. With her leadership, we can lead the next evolution of palliative care.”  

Farrand said, “I was inspired to get into palliative care by the personal experience of my mother’s death from cancer. Working as a provider, I have seen the benefits that high-quality, high-touch, interdisciplinary palliative care brings to patients with serious illnesses and their families. I look forward to working with the hospice and palliative care community to continue expanding availability of palliative care, raising consumer awareness, and increasing access by moving upstream along the continuum of care.” 

Farrand joins NHPCO from VITAS Healthcare, where she is currently winding down her tenure as National Director of VITAS Palliative Care. In that role, she has overseen all of VITAS’ palliative care initiatives to improve and expand palliative care for VITAS patients, families, and health care providers. Her key objectives include embedding goals-of-care conversation expertise into the palliative care specialty and serving as an industry advocate for legislative and regulatory action toward community-based palliative care delivery models. 

Prior to VITAS, Farrand served as Vice President of Medical Management for Centene Corporation’s PA Health and Wellness, serving Pennsylvania—a role that included national program development for projects on palliative care and social determinants of health. She previously served as Vice President of Clinical Learning & Development and Regional VP of Clinical Operations for PA/WV for Aspire Health, with multistate oversight of dispersed interdisciplinary teams providing high-quality palliative care. 

Farrand is a board-certified adult nurse practitioner with an MSN focused on geriatric and adult health. Additionally, she holds an advanced practice certificate in palliative care, a BA in Psychology, an MS in Behavioral Neuroscience, and an MA in Art Therapy. She has worked as both a Nurse Practitioner and an Art Therapist. She is active in multiple professional organizations, including HPNA and the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association. Rory enjoys baking, yoga, reading, and spending time with her sons.  

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
Communications Director
Ph: 571-412-3973 

For Immediate Release:
February 9, 2021 

 Hospice Action Network Honors 2021 Congressional Champions

NHPCO advocacy affiliate recognizes members of Congress who have supported hospice 

(Alexandria, Va) – The Hospice Action Network (HAN), the advocacy affiliate of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 Hospice Action Network Angel Award. This award was created to recognize select members of Congress who serve hospice and palliative care patients and their families through their efforts to support the vital mission of hospice and palliative care. These honorees use their platform to amplify the voices of patients facing a serious or life-limiting illness and their families. 

The award recipients are as follows: 

• • • Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) 
    • Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16) 
    • Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) 
    • Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) 
    • Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) 

• • • Representative Steven Horsford (D-NV-04) 
    • Representative Joe Morelle (D-NY-25) 
    • Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20) 
    • Representative Tom Reed (R-NY-23) 
    • Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) 

• • • Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA-01) 
    • Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA-05) 

The honorees expressed their appreciation for the recognition.  

“I was raised by my maternal grandparents and later served as my grandmother’s primary caregiver as she grew older, which is why hospice and palliative care are extremely personal to me,” Senator Tammy Baldwin said. “I’m proud to have worked across party lines to advocate for this critical care being made more accessible for Americans. I will continue to be a voice for patients and their families and remain committed to working to grow and support our palliative and hospice health care workforce which provides quality of care for the growing number of patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses.” 

“My family personally experienced the care and compassion provided by hospice. This is why I am proud to support hospice providers in Wyoming and across our nation. I am honored to receive this award and will continue working to improve hospice access for American patients and their families,” Senator John Barrasso said. 

“People in the final stages of life should have access to the compassionate care that hospice and palliative care provide. As someone who cared for aging parents and experienced firsthand what it is like to have a family member receive hospice care, I have been and continue to be committed to making sure this critical service is available in all communities, including rural areas,” Senator Shelley Moore Capito said. “I also know the incredible strain that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have on this type of care, which is why I have introduced legislation to ensure patients have access to more time with loved ones throughout the pandemic, and fought to delay Medicare payment cuts that would be detrimental to our home health, hospice, health center, and durable medical equipment suppliers. I’m honored to be selected as one of HAN’s Angel Awardees again this year, and I am so grateful for the work HAN, NHPCO, and all the hospice and palliative caregivers do on behalf of people across West Virginia.” 

“I have long worked to advance bipartisan solutions that expand the public’s access to palliative and end-of-life care. These services provide patients facing serious illness and their families with the high-quality care and comfort they deserve. Thank you to the NHPCO for this award and their work on behalf of the American people,” Senator Deb Fischer said.      

“When I was nine weeks old, my grandmother suffered a debilitating stroke that left her reliant on nursing care for the rest of her life. I know the difference that palliative care makes, and I will always fight to make sure patients have the high-quality care they need and deserve,” Representative Steven Horsford said. “I’m honored to receive the 2021 Hospice Action Network Angel Award, and I look forward to working with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization to continue to advocate for all patients and families.” 

“Our nation is suffering a collective and overwhelming grief as a result of this pandemic,” Representative Joe Morelle said. “Hospice and palliative care providers have been there supporting patients and their families through their darkest hours—bringing them light, and peace. I am humbled and honored by this award, and I remain committed to working alongside NHPCO to continue supporting patients going forward.”  

“The facilities that serve hospice and palliative care patients and their family members, and employ caregivers and administrative staff, should always meet high standards of quality, safety, and transparency,” Representative Jimmy Panetta said. “That’s why I worked closely with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization to introduce and pass the Hospice Act, which was signed into law in 2020. Although I greatly appreciate this recognition for my work on that legislation, the grassroots advocacy and bipartisan collaboration was the foundation for this law that will ensure accountability for the safety and wellbeing of hospice caregivers and those in their care.” 

“We will always be an advocate for hospice care and the quality care and support they give to families and their loved ones. At the end of my mother’s life, I witnessed firsthand the compassion of hospice care professionals and was inspired to become a hospice volunteer as my way of saying thank you. We are honored that Hospice Action Network has chosen to recognize us for our work and we commend them in their efforts to expand access to hospice care here in America,” Representative Tom Reed said. 

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization for my work to provide seniors in Nevada and across the country better access to comprehensive health services, including hospice and palliative care,” Senator Jacky Rosen said. “I will continue to lead on this issue and look forward to partnering with the nation’s hospice and palliative care providers to make sure that America’s seniors receive the best care possible.” 

“Our hospice and palliative care workers take incredible care of their patients and their families. They provide kindness and compassion during an exceedingly difficult time. I am honored to be recognized by the Hospice Action Network and will continue to fight for Americans facing serious or life-limiting illness in Congress,” Representative Steve Scalise said. 

“I am honored to receive the 2021 Hospice Action Network Angel Award from the Hospice Action Network,” Representative Mike Thompson said. “As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I have worked to pass legislation that provides security and dignity to hospice and palliative care patients. My wife, Janet, is a former hospice nurse and I know well the difficulties that families experience with loved ones facing serious and terminal illness. I am committed to continuing these efforts to support these patients and the brave health care heroes who care for them.” 

HAN and NHPCO are proud to recognize these lawmakers. 

“We are thankful to these members of Congress for their leadership and support of hospice and palliative care patients and their families who rely on person- and family-centered, interdisciplinary care during their greatest time of need,” said Edo Banach, President and CEO of NHPCO and HAN. 

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
Communications Director
Ph: 571-412-3973 

About HAN
NHPCO and the Hospice Action Network work closely together to make an impact. NHPCO sets the public policy agenda through its Legislative Affairs Committee. The Hospice Action Network implements the agenda through direct lobbying, grassroots advocacy, and by empowering Hospice Advocates to share their hospice story with Congress. HAN’s mission is to advocate, with one voice, for policies that ensure the best care for patients and families facing serious illness and the end of life. 

For Immediate Release:
January 27, 2022 

Dr. Aparna Gupta Joins NHPCO from UnitedHealth Group

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) today announced it has hired a new Vice President of Quality, Dr. Aparna Gupta DNP, FACHE, CPHQ, CRNP. Gupta, who will start with NHPCO next month, most recently served as Vice President of Clinical Operations, Bundled Payment Solutions, Medicare, and Retirement for UnitedHealth Group (UHG). Prior to joining UHG, Gupta served as Director of Quality, Safety, and Value for the Allegheny Health Network (AHN). Gupta is a board-certified nurse practitioner with more than 20 years of health care leadership experience spanning quality improvement, health care operations, executive leadership, acute care, ageing, complex disease management, clinical services, and implementation of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) programs.

NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach said, “Delivering high-quality care is the cornerstone of any successful hospice or palliative care program, and NHPCO is the leader in supporting providers for continuous quality improvement. With Dr. Gupta leading our Quality programs, I know NHPCO will continue to grow participation in programs like Quality Connections, ensuring that providers across the country are able to deliver better and better services for patients and their families.”

Gupta said, “I look forward to working with the hospice and palliative care communities to improve the quality of patient care. With more than 20 years of health care experience on both the provider side and the payer side, I have a passion for programs that create incentives to reduce costs while increasing quality of care. I admire NHPCO’s focus on quality as essential in serious illness and end-of-life care, and I look forward to supporting the organization as it continues to lead person-centered care.”

Prior to her roles with UHG and AHN, Gupta served as a consultant leading an initiative for 34 hospitals and health systems across Pennsylvania to reduce sepsis-related hospital admissions by working across the continuum of care to reduce gaps that lead to sepsis. She previously served as a Senior Nurse Practitioner with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, as well as a Registered Nurse and Charge RN at two hospitals in Colorado.

As part of her doctoral work, Gupta successfully implemented an evidence-base collaborative depression care management protocol in a primary care practice, improving mental health screening and interdisciplinary team-based care for populations with complex health conditions. Gupta has been an active leader in several professional organizations, including serving as President of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association. Gupta’s focus on outcomes-driven care delivery has led to significant improvements in value-based outcomes across complex and high-risk populations. As a health care quality expert, Dr. Gupta has been invited to speak on topics such as social risk, sepsis readmissions, managing the ageing continuum, and integration of mental health in primary care at events including the Institute of Healthcare Improvement Annual Forum. Gupta has led Transforming Care at the Bedside Teams (TCAB) and served as a master trainer for Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) projects. Her years of delivering high-quality health care have resulted in the achievement of Fellow status with the American College of Healthcare Executives. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, volunteering, and spending time with her family and her four-year-old Bichon.

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
January 13, 2022

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) offers comment following the decision released today by the Supreme Court.

Today, the Supreme Court issued its decision allowing the CMS vaccine mandate to go into effect for all states. On Friday, January 7, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on whether to allow the CMS vaccine mandate to go into effect for the 25 states part of the litigation while it is reviewed by lower courts. We expect additional guidance from CMS soon.

“NHPCO has clearly supported the important role that CMS and HHS have in protecting the health and safety of consumers and health care providers. We supported and continue to support a vaccine mandate because we care about health care providers and the people and communities they serve. Today’s Supreme Court decision recognizes that role and gives health care providers the clarity that they need to assure that their staff members, and the people they care for, are fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach.

For more background on the ongoing litigation, NHPCO members can review the December 16 Regulatory Alert available on the NHPCO website.

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
Communications Director
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release
January 13, 2022 

PHE Helps Hospices and Palliative Care Providers Deliver Patient Care During COVID-19 

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) today requested that the Biden Administration extend the COVID-19 public health emergency, which is currently set to expire on January 16.  

 In a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Honorable Xavier Becerra, NHPCO stated that: “Hospice and palliative care providers are still being severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically through staff and testing shortages. Extending the public health emergency will provide essential support and flexibilities to hospices and palliative care providers as they continue to serve patients safely and effectively, while facing another record COVID-19 surge.” 

Download the full letter.  

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973 

For Immediate Release:
January 5, 2022

Appreciation to those professionals who are committed to advancing person- and family-centered care through service on NHPCO board of directors

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is proud to welcome five new members to the organization’s board of directors and thanks those individuals returning for a second term. The full NHPCO board will meet for its first meeting of the year on January 26, 2022.

Joining the NHPCO board of directors for three-year terms are:

• • • Trisha Crissman, CommonSpirit Health at Home, Milford, OH
    • Jim Deal, Compassus, Brentwood, TN
    • Clevis Parker, ProCare Hospice of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
    • Lynne Sexten, Agrace Hospice & Palliative Care, Madison, WI
    • Kristen Yntema, AuthoraCare Collective, Greensboro, NC

Returning to the NHPCO board for a second terms are:

• • • Ron Crossno, Kindred at Home, Hutto, TX
    • Carla Davis, LHC Group, Charleston, SC
    • Elizabeth Fowler, Bluegrass Care Navigators, Lexington, KY
    • Brian Jones, SHARE Foundation, El Dorado, AR
    • Katy Lanz, TopSight, LLC, Pittsburgh, PA
    • Norman McRae, Caris HealthCare, LP, Knoxville, TN

“For their commitment to our organization and the nation’s hospice and palliative care community, we welcome these new members to the NHPCO board of directors and extend our appreciation to those continuing their board service. Our board members come from programs that vary in size, structure, and service area and represent the wide range of organizations across the country that share our common goal of leading person- and family-centered care,” said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach

Appreciation goes out to Sally Aldrich of Baptist Trinity Health, Darren Bertram of Infinity Hospice Care, Rafael Sciullo of Empath Health/Suncoast Hospice, and Paul Ledford of the Florida Hospice and Palliative Care Association who concluded their terms on the NHPCO board at the end of 2021.

“To those who have concluded their board service, we thank them for their many contributions to our organization and the provider community,” added Banach.

Executive Committee
Additionally, NHPCO extends its appreciation to those serving on the 2022 executive committee:

• • • Chair – Norman McRae, Caris HealthCare, LP, Knoxville, TN
    • Vice Chair – Melinda Gruber, Caring Circle, St. Joseph, MI
    • President – Edo Banach, NHPCO, Alexandria, VA
    • Treasurer – Peter Brunnick, Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region, Charlotte, NC
    • Secretary – Elizabeth Fowler, Bluegrass Care Navigators, Lexington, KY
    • At-Large – Balu Natarajan, AccentCare Hospice, Rosemont, IL
    • At-Large – Tarrah Lowry, Trustbridge, West Palm Beach, FL
    • Hospice Action Network Representative – David Totaro, BAYADA Home Health Care, Philadelphia, PA

A full list of NHPCO’s board of directors is available in the “About NHPCO” section of the organization’s website.

To learn more about hospice and palliative care, visit NHPCO’s CaringInfo.org website.

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
December 16, 2021

NHPCO 2022 Conference Offers Renewal and Reinvigoration for Hospice and Palliative Care Leaders

2022 Leadership and Advocacy Conference will be NHPCO’s First In-Person Conference Since 2019

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Leadership and Advocacy Conference will be the premier professional event in 2022 with content curated specifically for leaders and aspiring leaders working to advance hospice and palliative care. To address the critical needs of the field, LAC22 will safely bring together professionals to experience a unique blend of keynotes, educational sessions, networking opportunities, exhibits, and events not to be missed. The event will be held at the Gaylord National Harbor Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland on March 7 – 9, 2021.

Educational Sessions that Leaders Need Today and for the Future
LAC22 will offer peer-to-peer intermediate and advanced educational sessions that are built around these four topic areas:

• • • Managing the Health Care of Individuals Living with Serious Illness
    • Transforming the Health Care Delivery System
    • Navigating a Post-Pandemic World
    • Building Interdisciplinary Team Leadership

“There’s nothing like a face-to-face conference to renew your sense of mission, fuel your creativity, and inspire your vision for the future. For the first time since 2019, hospice and palliative care leaders will gather in-person to explore new possibilities, share innovations, and set the direction for the next 40 years of person- and family-centered care,” said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach. “This is what NHPCO’s 2022 Leadership and Advocacy Conference is all about.”

Dynamic Keynotes
NHPCO looks forward to inspirational keynotes that include Mark Schulman, world renowned drummer and author, and journalist Emily Esfahani Smith, author of The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life that Matters.

Pre-Conference Seminars also Available
NHPCO will offer its most popular Pre-Conference Signature Programs on March 5 and 6, prior to LAC22. At this time, registration for these seminars is limited, so register soon to guarantee a spot. Seminars offered:

• • • Advanced Community-Based Palliative Care Workshop
    • Hospice Compliance Certificate Program
    • Hospice Quality Certificate Program
    • Hospice Manager Development Program Foundational Course

Catch the Early Bird Rate
Register now to take advantage of big savings on your conference registration. Early bird ends January 21, 2022.

Option for On-Demand Content
In addition to our on-site activities, the LAC22 experience includes an on-demand library of educational sessions available online 24/7 that extends the conference experience through May 31. For those who are not able to come to the Gaylord National, registration for access to the on-demand library is a helpful option for professionals and teams.

Exhibit Hall & Sponsorship
The conference Exhibit Hall is always a highlight of NHPCO conferences. The details for the LAC22 Exhibit Hall and our sponsorship opportunities will be available soon. Visit nhpco.org/lac22 to fill out our exhibitor & sponsor interest form online to be sure and get news on exhibits just as soon as it’s available.

Safety is a Priority
LAC22 is a vaccination required event for all attendees, faculty, exhibitors, and NHPCO staff. Visit the LAC22 website to download our health and safety protocols to learn more about how we’re keeping the onsite experience safe for everyone.

National Hospice Foundation Gala
On March 8, NHPCO’s philanthropic affiliate, the National Hospice Foundation, will host a gala celebrating the 40^th anniversary of the Medicare hospice benefit. Funds will support NHPCO’s programs that enhance quality and consumer awareness.

Learn more at www.nhpco.org/lac2022.

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973