Tag: 2023 Press Releases

For Immediate Release
December 21, 2023

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) jointly announced today that they have developed a proposed slate of Transition Board of Directors and officers for 2024. The Transition Board will oversee the transition to a new, consolidated organization pursuant to its ratification by both associations’ Boards of Directors in an agreement to combine which is contemplated in early 2024. The as-of-yet to be named organization will combine the strengths of NAHC and NHPCO, creating a better and more powerful advocate for the entire care-at-home community. This effort has been led by a joint Steering Committee, comprised of member and staff leaders from NAHC and NHPCO, which has been working collaboratively towards the shared goal of enhanced collaboration to drive industry impact, member value and quality patient outcomes.

The proposed Transition Board was selected collaboratively by the boards of NAHC and NHPCO and represents the full breadth of the patient-centered healthcare sector providing care in homes and communities nationwide, with wide-ranging expertise, demographic and geographic diversity, varied organizational tax statuses, and other criteria. The Transition Board includes equal representation from NAHC and NHPCO — directors with deep experience in home health, hospice, palliative care, personal care services, home care, and private duty. The board also includes business partners, representatives from state associations and at-large members. The board and officers will be ratified when the Definitive Agreements are signed in early 2024.

The proposed Transition Board is as follows:

• • • Ken Albert, R.N., Esq., Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice, NAHC, Transition Board Chair
    • David Causby, Gentiva, NAHC
    • Trisha Crissman, MA, CommonSpirit Health at Home, NHPCO
    • Melinda Gruber, PhD, MBA, CNA, Corewell Health, NHPCO, Transition Board Vice Chair
    • Demetress Harrell, MA, LBSW, DAPA, Hospice in the Pines, NHPCO
    • Susan D. Lloyd, MSN, RN, Delaware Hospice, Inc., NHPCO
    • Tarrah Lowry, Trustbridge / Empath, NHPCO
    • Christine McMichael, MA, Hospice & Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts, current chair of Council of States, NHPCO
    • Mark Morse, Enclara Pharmacia, NHPCO
    • Mary Myers, Retired Johns Hopkins, NAHC
    • John Olajide, Axxess, NAHC
    • Bob Parker, DNP, RN, CENP, CHPN, CHP, Kindful Health, NHPCO
    • Susan Ponder-Stansel, Alivia Care, Inc., NAHC
    • Sara Ratcliffe, Illinois HomeCare & Hospice Council, current chair of Forum of States, NAHC
    • Lynne Sexten, FACHE, Agrace, NHPCO, Transition Board Secretary
    • William Simione, SimiTree, NAHC, Transition Board Treasurer
    • Jennifer Sheets, NAHC
    • Beth Slepian, Granite VNA, NAHC
    • Dave Totaro, BAYADA Home Health Care, NAHC
    • Nick Westfall, VITAS Healthcare, NHPCO

Melinda Gruber, proposed Vice Chair of the Transition Board, said, “Across the continuum of serious illness care, providers are looking to the future, working to ensure we can continue to provide high-quality, patient-centered care even as patient needs and payment models shift. The association representing providers should be similarly future-focused. This proposed Transition Board is the right group of people at the right time to take NHPCO and NAHC into the future, to continue providing value for our current and future members.”

Ken Albert, proposed Chair of the Transition Board, said, “With extraordinary opportunity comes the challenge of significant obligation. This proposed Transition Board is made up of experienced veterans of the care at home community, who possess the vision to understand both the opportunity and obligation to build an even stronger future for our sectors of the American health care delivery system. Fulfilling our pledge to return the home to the center of American health care will require a new organization with the expanded expertise of both NAHC and NHPCO. I am very confident that this talented group of leaders is up for the challenges ahead, and that our collective focus will remain on the needs of our members as they endeavor to meet the demands of providing high-quality healthcare.”

For more information, news, and updates on the collaboration, including recordings of the all-member Town Halls, please visit the collaboration update pages on the NAHC and NHPCO websites.

 

For Immediate Release
December 19, 2023

President Carter Honored as the First-Ever Recipient of the Courageous Conversations Award

(Alexandria, VA) – The Hospice Action Network (HAN), the advocacy affiliate group of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), is pleased to announce its 2023 Hospice Action Network Angel Award Honorees. The HAN Angel Awards were created to recognize select members of Congress on both sides of the aisle for their ongoing efforts to amplify the voices of patients, families, providers, and those advocating for the vital mission of hospice and palliative care in supporting patients and their families facing serious or life-limiting illness.

New this year is the addition of the first-ever “Courageous Conversations Award” to be presented, when merited, to a standout individual who has inspired and educated the public on the value of hospice. At 99, former President Jimmy Carter is the longest living U.S. President and the first known President to utilize the Medicare Hospice Benefit. While in office, the Carter administration tested hospice care as a model, which later led to the Medicare Hospice Benefit we know today. President Carter sparked a national dialogue this year when the Carter Center publicly shared the news of him electing hospice for his end-of-life journey and later, his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter also elected hospice days before her death. Now over 10 months later, President Carter continues to enjoy care at home surrounded by friends and family made possible through his use of the Medicare Hospice Benefit. His story has also been invaluable in dispelling common myths and misconceptions surrounding hospice including average length of stay.

This year’s HAN award recipients are as follows:

The Courageous Conversations Award, 2023 Honoree
39^th U.S. President Jimmy Carter

2023 HAN Angel Award Honorees”
Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI)
Senator John Barrasso (WY)
Senator Deb Fischer (NE)
Senator Shelley Capito (WV)
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (NV)
Senator Jacky Rosen (NV)
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3)
Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-19)
Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (TX -24)
Congressman Brad Wenstrup (OH-2)

“Today we give thanks to the Members of Congress who champion the needs of hospices patients and providers. Their support has been critical, and we recognize them with the HAN Angel Award.,” said HAN Executive Director, Logan Hoover. “In addition to our champions in Congress, no one has better demonstrated the value of hospice this year than former President Jimmy Carter who continues to show us what is made possible by electing person- and family-centered, interdisciplinary care at the end of life.”

NHPCO and HAN are proud to recognize these exemplary leaders for their ongoing efforts.

###

About HAN:

Created in 2007, the Hospice Action Network (HAN) brings together the hospice and palliative care community to speak with a unified voice. HAN is the 501(c)(4) advocacy affiliate of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization(NHPCO). NHPCO and HAN work closely together to make an impact; NHPCO sets the public policy priorities through its Legislative Affairs Committee to provide a more aggressive and comprehensive advocacy voice that will serve the entire field and one of America’s most vulnerable populations, those at the end of life.

About NHPCO:

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 provides education and resources to support that mission. Together with our advocacy partner, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), we serve as the leading voice advancing public policy to improve serious-illness and end-of-life care, while our CaringInfo program provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers. nhpco.org

Press Contact:
Madison Summers
Public Affairs Manager
571-412-3973

For Immediate Release
December 13, 2023

Includes a special section on value-based insurance design hospice benefit

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) has published its 2023 edition of Facts and Figures, an annual report on key data points related to the delivery of hospice care, including information on patient characteristics, location and level of care, Medicare hospice spending, and hospice providers. NHPCO Facts and Figures is the leading resource for hospice providers and others interested in understanding the work of the community.

The findings in this report reflect patients who received care in Calendar Year (CY) 2021, or Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, provided by hospices certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and reimbursed under the Medicare Hospice Benefit. The 2023 Facts and Figures report continues to see the impact of COVID-19 on patient care and the effect of the COVID-19 waivers to the traditional delivery of hospice care. However, this year started to see the return to pre COVID-19 levels in some areas.

“NHPCO Facts and Figures is an essential resource for the hospice community. Many of our members use it to benchmark their own programs as one of the most-cited annual reports on hospice care,” said Ben Marcantonio, Interim CEO of NHPCO. “These numbers represent over one million Americans who rely on person-centered, interdisciplinary care each year during a time of great need.”

Select findings from this year’s report include the following: 

• • • Utilization of hospice care: 1.71 million Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in hospice care for one day or more in 2021.
    • Decrease in percentage of eligible patients served: Of all Medicare decedents in CY 2021, 47.3% received one day or more of hospice care and were enrolled in hospice at the time of death. This continues the downward trend from 2020, likely due to deaths continuing to outpace the growth in hospice due to COVID-19.
    • Medicare Advantage enrollment: Medicare Advantage (MA) continued growing into a larger portion of the Medicare population. To access hospice, MA beneficiaries must be in a value-based insurance design (VBID) plan or shift to Traditional Medicare to utilize the Medicare Hospice Benefit. Most beneficiaries switch to Traditional Medicare.
    • Race and ethnicity of beneficiaries: In 2021, 50.0% of White, 36.3% of Asian American, 35.6% of Black, 34.3% of Hispanic, and 33.8% of North American Native Medicare decedents used hospice. 2021 saw an increase in hospice utilizations by all race and ethnicity groups except White beneficiaries, which saw a -0.8% decrease. Despite this rebound from the 2020 decrease, no group has returned to pre-COVID-19 utilization percentages.
    • Continued trends in principal diagnoses: While cancer is in the top 20 diagnoses twice, it is tied with Alzheimer’s/nervous system disorders/organic psychosis as the top category of diagnosis (24%). Although COVID-19 accounts for only 2% of primary diagnoses, it may still have been a secondary or contributory diagnosis.
    • Trends in quality of care: CY 2021 saw an increase in visits in the last days of life by both nurses and social workers after a decline in 2020.
    • Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID): From CY 2021 to 2022, there was an increase in both participating providers and beneficiaries as well as an increase in the percentage of use of in-network providers.

The 2023 NHPCO Facts and Figures report is available to all on the NHPCO website.  

###

About NHPCO:

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 provides education and resources to support that mission. Together with our advocacy partner, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), we serve as the leading voice advancing public policy to improve serious-illness and end-of-life care, while our CaringInfo program provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers. nhpco.org

NHPCO Contact:
Madison Summers
571-412-3973

For Immediate Release
November 10, 2023

(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) published the following statement in response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center (CMMI) release of the final Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM) report and At-A-Glance report.

MCCM was a CMMI model that ran from 2016 through 2021 to test the impact of providing concurrent curative and hospice care and evaluate “whether providing these supportive services could improve the quality of life and care received by Medicare beneficiaries, increase patient satisfaction, and reduce Medicare expenditures.” The key takeaways highlighted by CMS stated these goals were attained and “MCCM is a promising approach to increasing hospice use.”

“Despite findings in the report which state ‘participating hospices achieved MCCM’s goals of improving enrollees’ quality of life and care, attaining high satisfaction, and reducing Medicare expenditures and acute care service use’ through supportive service delivery and increased use of the Medicare hospice benefit, CMS determined the existing model was not scalable enough for continued funding and ended MCCM prematurely,” said NHPCO Interim CEO, Ben Marcantonio. “This is extremely disappointing as MCCM should be the approach future models follow to continue to improve access to quality hospice and palliative care. If all signs point to a successful program but you need more data, you find a way to increase participation, you don’t put it on a shelf.”

NHPCO is a proud supporter of S. 1845, the Expanding Access to Palliative Care Act led by Senators Rosen (D-NV), Barrasso (R-WY), Baldwin (D-WI), and Fischer (R-NE). This legislation would require CMMI to launch a Community Based Palliative Care program to support those with serious illness. This commonsense demonstration is built on the findings and successes of MCCM.

NHPCO will take the lessons learned from MCCM and apply them when developing new models while continuing to partner with CMS and Congress to provide the best possible care for Medicare beneficiaries. 

###

About NHPCO

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 provides education and resources to support that mission. Together with our advocacy partner, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), we serve as the leading voice advancing public policy to improve serious-illness and end-of-life care, while our CaringInfo program provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers. nhpco.org

NHPCO Contact:
Madison Summers
571-412-3973

For Immediate Release
November 1, 2023 

(Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC) – The four preeminent national hospice organizations – LeadingAge, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) – strongly oppose the final design of the hospice special focus program (SFP) as presented in the CY2024 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update (CMS-1780-F), released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) today.   

CMS’ decision to progress using a flawed methodology for the SFP algorithm will threaten the ability of millions of older adults and other hospice beneficiaries to access quality hospice care.  

In addition, the implementation of the poorly designed algorithm, which has been widely criticized by congressional leaders, technical expert panel participants, and hospice community and association leaders, will hinder a widely shared goal of improving sector quality. As a community, we are profoundly disappointed with this decision.  

Over the past two years, the national hospice associations have presented CMS — in letters, in-person meetings and via other channels — with a wide array of research and well-supported advocacy outlining our concerns. We’ve reiterated those concerns to the White House Office of Management and Budget and Domestic Policy Council as well. Nonetheless, CMS has opted to ignore our  feedback, along with concerns from congressional leaders dating as far back as 2021.  

To be clear: our associations support the spirit and intent of the SFP, which, in keeping with the HOSPICE Act passed in 2020, aims to improve poor performing hospices. CMS’ approach is not aligned with congressional intent, nor does it effectively identify the lowest quality performing providers, and does not achieve the goals set forth in the HOSPICE Act.  

On behalf of hospice provider members serving beneficiaries around the country, our organizations are committed to continued advocacy on this issue. We will explore all options to prevent the flawed SFP design from moving forward and will work to find a solution which accomplishes the goals of the hospice community and Congress for improving the quality of care delivered.  

### 

Press Contacts:
Lisa Sanders
LeadingAge
202-508-9407
lsanders@leadingage.org

Tom Threlkeld
NAHC
tom@nahc.org

Madison Summers 
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

Matt Wilkinson
NPHI Communications Manager
mwilkinson@hospiceinnovations.org
801-615-4207

Immediate Release:
October 31, 2023

Courageous Conversations

(Alexandria, VA) – The beginning of November marks the start of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month (HAPCM), and this year’s theme is “Courageous Conversations.” Throughout the month, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is encouraging everyone to engage in Courageous Conversations to start a meaningful dialogue on dying a good death.

In a culture that often teaches us to resist mortality and a healthcare system defined by interventionism, the seemingly simple act of having a conversation about dying can have a profound impact. What does death mean in my life? If I am faced with a terminal diagnosis, how would my values shape my end-of-life journey? How do I want my loved ones to engage with me toward the end of my life? It’s difficult to think about these questions but having these courageous conversations with ourselves, family, friends, and doctors can mean the difference between having the type of death a patient wants – one that matches up with their values and desires – and one that doesn’t allow them to have a say in their own end of life.

“Throughout the month, NHPCO members and other organizations across the nation will raise awareness of the role that courageous conversations can have in helping patients with serious illness receive the right care at the right time, and helping their families’ know their loved ones are getting the care they want,” said NHPCO Interim CEO, Ben Marcantonio. “National Hospice and Palliative Care Month is an important opportunity to continue the national conversation, accelerated in part by former President Jimmy Carter’s decision to make his hospice election public, about the benefits of early access to goal-oriented serious-illness and end-of-life care.”

NHPCO encourages individuals and organizations to participate in a special HAPCM Social Media Action Day on Friday, November 3, 2023, using the hashtags #HAPCM and #CourageousConversations. NHPCO Members will find a range of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month outreach resources online in the Community Outreach Resource section of the website.

For more information on hospice, palliative care, advance care planning, and more, visit NHPCO’s consumer website, www.CaringInfo.org.

###

About NHPCO

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 provides education and resources to support that mission. Together with our advocacy partner, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), we serve as the leading voice advancing public policy to improve serious-illness and end-of-life care, while our CaringInfo program provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers. nhpco.org

Press Contact:
Madison Summers
NHPCO Communications
571-412-3973

For Immediate Release
October 25, 2023

See the Spanish language version

(Alexandria, VA) – CaringInfo.org, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), is a consumer-focused website that offers information on a breadth of topics related to serious illness and end-of-life care. The mission of CaringInfo is to empower patients and caregivers to make decisions about the care and services they wish to receive.

The full CaringInfo website, including all the downloadable resources, is now available in Spanish. Site visitors must simply click the “English” button in the top right corner of the page and select “Español” from the dropdown to view the translated site. All pages on the website are available in translation and NHPCO will continue to translate any new site additions.

CaringInfo currently provides information on topics including the services provided with hospice care, the differences between hospice and palliative care, the benefits of advance care planning and how to get started, and financial matters to consider and plan for at the end of life. CaringInfo also offers a regularly updated library of each state’s advance directives, including tips for completing each form.

Notably, these advance directive forms are also available in Spanish, offering the first comprehensive, free tool for accessing annotated advance directives for each state in Spanish. The site currently offers the Spanish directives for over 30 states, with all 50 states plus Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. to be available in the coming weeks.

“Increasing access to care and education about that care for all, including within Hispanic/Latino communities, continues to be a main goal of NHPCO and the CaringInfo program,” said NHPCO Interim CEO, Ben Marcantonio. “Based on the demand we’ve already seen and the lack of written resources that exist in Spanish, we know this website will serve as a valuable resource for providers communicating with patients and their loved ones as well as for the Spanish-speaking community in learning about options for the care and services they and their loved ones wish to receive.”

Visit CaringInfo.org, which is free and available to all, to explore the full site in English and Spanish.

###

About NHPCO

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 provides education and resources to support that mission. Together with our advocacy partner, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), we serve as the leading voice advancing public policy to improve serious-illness and end-of-life care, while our CaringInfo program provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers. nhpco.org

Press Contact:
Madison Summers
NHPCO Communications
571-412-3973

###

PARA DIFUSIÓN INMEDIATA
25 de octubre de 2023

El sitio web y los recursos de CaringInfo de la NHPCO ahora están disponibles en español

(Alexandria, VA) – CaringInfo.org, un programa de la National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), es un sitio web centrado en el consumidor que ofrece información sobre una amplia gama de temas relacionados con enfermedades graves y cuidados al final de la vida. La misión de CaringInfo es capacitar a los pacientes y cuidadores para que tomen decisiones sobre la atención y los servicios que desean recibir.

Todo el sitio web de CaringInfo, incluidos los recursos descargables, está ahora disponible en español. Quienes visitan el sitio solo deben hacer clic en el botón “Inglés” en la esquina superior derecha de la página y seleccionar “Español” en el menú desplegable para ver el sitio traducido. Todas las páginas del sitio web traducidas ahora están disponibles, y la NHPCO seguirá traduciendo cualquier incorporación nueva al sitio.

CaringInfo actualmente proporciona información sobre temas que incluyen los servicios proporcionados con los cuidados de hospicio, las diferencias entre cuidado paliativo y cuidado de hospicio, los beneficios de la planificación anticipada de atención y cómo comenzar, y los temas financieros a considerar, así como la planificación para el final de la vida. CaringInfo también ofrece una biblioteca de las instrucciones anticipadas de cada estado, actualizadas regularmente, que incluye consejos para completar cada formulario.

En particular, estos formularios de instrucciones anticipadas también están disponibles en español y ofrecen la primera herramienta integral y gratuita para acceder a las instrucciones anticipadas comentadas en español para cada estado. Actualmente, el sitio ofrece las instrucciones en español para 34 estados, y los 50 estados más Puerto Rico y Washington D.C. estarán disponibles en las próximas semanas.

“Aumentar el acceso a la atención y la educación sobre esa atención para todos, incluso dentro de la comunidad hispana, sigue siendo un objetivo principal de la NHPCO y del programa CaringInfo”, dijo el CEO interino de la NHPCO, Ben Marcantonio. “Con base en la demanda que ya hemos visto y la falta de recursos escritos que existen en español, sabemos que este sitio web servirá como un recurso valioso para los proveedores que se comunican con los pacientes y sus seres queridos, así como para la comunidad de habla hispana para conocer las opciones de atención y servicios que ellos y sus seres queridos desean recibir”.

Visite CaringInfo.org, que es gratuito y está disponible para todos, y explore el sitio completo en inglés y español.

###

Acerca de la NHPCO

La National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) es la asociación de miembros más grande y antigua del país para proveedores que atienden a personas afectadas por enfermedades graves y que limitan la vida. Nuestros miembros brindan y amplían el acceso a una atención interdisciplinaria de alta calidad y centrada en la persona a millones de estadounidenses. La NHPCO proporciona educación y recursos para apoyar esa misión. Junto con nuestro socio de defensa, Hospice Action Network (HAN), servimos como la voz líder que promueve políticas públicas para mejorar la atención de enfermedades graves y al final de la vida, mientras que nuestro programa CaringInfo proporciona recursos gratuitos para educar y capacitar a pacientes y cuidadores. nhpco.org

Contacto de prensa:
Madison Summers
NHPCO Communications
571-412-3973

(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) hosted its annual leadership conference (ALC2023) in Little Rock, Arkansas, September 30 – October 4, 2023. More than 900 attendees and exhibitors joined for the in-person program which included action-packed days of keynotes, concurrent education sessions, networking opportunities, award presentations, and celebrations.

Early arrival attendees participated in four pre-conference workshops: the Hospice Manager Development Program Foundation Course, the Hospice Compliance Certificate Program, the Hospice Quality Certificate Program, and the Goals of Care Communication workshop. Sunday concluded with the Kickoff Keynote, Jennifer O’Brien, Author of The Hospice Doctor’s Widow, where attendees learned about supporting the non-professional caregiver and the parallels the challenges of caregiving have to those of leadership.

Monday, October 2 was the first day of the full conference. After sunrise yoga in the Wellness Lounge, attendees joined the Opening Keynote, Marcus Whitney, healthcare investor and innovator. Before Whitney took the stage, NHPCO interim CEO, Ben Marcantonio and NHPCO Board Chair, Melinda Gruber each shared remarks about the future of the hospice and palliative care community, the need for unity, and NHPCO’s future collaboration with NAHC.

“In many ways, this is our time,” said Marcantonio. “We must be courageous about opening windows to new ways of thinking about serious-illness and end-of-life care, new ways of providing that care, and new ways of resourcing the care in the decades ahead.”

During the annual Networking and Awards Lunch, MyNHPCO leaders presented the Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Awards, recognizing hospice volunteers who embody the concept of volunteerism at the heart of hospice—improving the patient experience and serving as an inspiration to others. The honorees made significant contributions to hospice programs in the areas of organizational support, patient and family service, specialized volunteer service, and We Honor Veterans volunteer service; NHPCO also recognized a teen volunteer with the Young Leader Service Award.

Tuesday’s Keynote session – Jonah and David Stillman, a father-son multigenerational team, explored the differences in each generation’s approach to the workplace and offered recommendations for optimizing cross-generational teamwork. The afternoon began with Peer-to-Peer Connections sessions, where attendees met in topic-focused groups to ask questions about current challenges and share best practices before heading to the National Hospice Foundation 2023 Gala where the Galen Miller Leadership Awards were presented.

During the gala, attendees enjoyed delicious food and drinks, danced to Little Rock’s Diamond Empire Band, and participated in live and silent auctions. Thanks to the support and participation of NHPCO members and supporters, the National Hospice Foundation, NHPCO’s fundraising affiliate, raised over $200,000 throughout the evening. All funds will support the Hospice Workforce Emergency Support Fund.

The highlight of the night was NHPCO’s presentation of the Galen Miller Leadership Awards, honoring the outstanding contributions of Judi Lund Person and Norman McRae to the hospice community.

On the last day of the conference, attendees gathered for the final Keynote, Breaking Ice with Pillsbury House Theater for a courageous and productive dialogue around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. We Honor Veterans presented the We Honor Veterans Outstanding Program Award to MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care. MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care is a Level Five We Honor Veterans partner and has been with the program since its inception. Before leaving Little Rock, attendees joined one of five final concurrent education sessions, including a roundtable with representatives from the Medicare Administrative Contractors.

NHPCO will continue to share updates from #ALC2023 across its social media platforms, a link to photos captured during the conference can be found here. On-demand content from the conference is available now through December 31, 2023, and includes recordings of select on-site sessions plus unique sessions designed specifically for online participation. ALC2024 will be held in Denver, Colorado from September 16 through September 18. Save the date now!

###

About NHPCO
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 provides education and resources to support that mission. Together with our advocacy partner, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), we serve as the leading voice advancing public policy to improve serious-illness and end-of-life care, while our CaringInfo program provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers. nhpco.org.

Press Contact
Madison Summers
Marketing and Communications Manager
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release
October 5, 2023
Photo Link

(Alexandria, Va) – This week the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) honored standout members of the hospice and palliative care community during the 2023 NHPCO Annual Leadership Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas.

During the conference at the National Hospice Foundation’s 2023 Gala, NHPCO honored the outstanding contributions of Judi Lund Person and Norman McRae to the community by presenting each of them with the Galen Miller Leadership Award. The Galen Miller Leadership Award, created in memory of NHPCO’s Executive Vice President, is presented to hospice champions who exhibit the same dedication and passion for the hospice and palliative care community that Galen Miller did.

Judi Lund Person, who currently serves as Senior Advisor of Regulatory and Compliance for NHPCO, is a widely acknowledged and respected hospice champion. In her decades of service, Lund Person has served as a key contact with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and helped ensure that policymakers hear the hospice voice. Over her 21-year tenure with NHPCO, Lund Person has developed and updated countless tools and resources for hospice providers, answered many regulatory questions, and worked with regulators and policymakers on a wide range of hospice regulatory issues. Prior to joining NHPCO, Lund Person led The Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care, where she worked with other early hospice leaders to establish the Medicare Hospice Benefit in Congress and was a part of the initial discussions that formulated the original conditions of participation.

Norman McRae, a hospice executive for the past three decades, currently serves as Principal of McRae Consulting Company and as the Immediate Past Chair of the NHPCO Board of Directors. In 1990, he founded the Hospice of Hope in Maysville, Kentucky and soon after, led a turnaround for Housecall Medical Resources, a publicly traded company with operations in five states. Norman then served as Founder and President and CEO for Caris HealthCare before becoming a Managing Partner and Executive Board Member.

Norman served on the NHPCO Board of Directors from 1997 to 2002, later returning to the Board and serving as Vice President from 2019 to 2020, and Chair from 2021 to 2022. He presently serves on the NHPCO Board as Immediate Past Chair.

NHPCO presented the annual Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Awards during a special luncheon on Monday, October 2. These awards recognize hospice volunteers who embody the concept of volunteerism at the heart of hospice; improving the patient experience and serving as an inspiration to others. The honorees have made significant contributions to hospice programs in the areas of organizational support, patient and family service, specialized volunteer service, and We Honor Veterans volunteer service; NHPCO also recognized a teen volunteer with the Young Leader Service Award. The Furst Group and NuBrick Partners sponsored this year’s volunteer awards, and the MyNHPCO Awards Committee led the selection process. The 2023 recipients of NHPCO’s Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Awards are:

Organizational Support Award:
Glenna Hayhoe 
Avow Hospice, Naples, Florida

Patient and Family Service Award:
Judith Arasi 
Compassus Hospice, North Andover, Massachusetts

Specialized Volunteer Service Award:
Johnnie Nettles
Lester Dierksen Memorial Hospice, Texarkana, Texas

We Honor Veterans Volunteer Service Award:
Kenneth A. Smith 
Hospice and Community Care, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Young Leader Service Award:
Alexis Hayward
Hospice of Northwest Ohio, Perrysburg, Ohio

We Honor Veterans, a NHPCO program, presented the We Honor Veterans Outstanding Program Award to this year’s recipient: MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care. MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care is a “Level Five” We Honor Veterans partner and has been with the program since its inception. In the last year alone, MJHS served over 200 Veteran patients. Ashton Stewart, Veteran Liaison & Cultural Sensitivity Outreach Coordinator, and a Veteran of the U.S. Navy who served during the first Gulf War, accepted the award on behalf of MJHS.

MJHS demonstrated its commitment to Veterans in one special case in 2022. Caring for the widow of a Veteran, an MJHS social worker learned of the patient’s dying wish to be buried with her husband at the Calverton National Cemetery. Her husband had died during his military service in 1979. Although she left no will, had no power of attorney, and no surviving family or children, MJHS was able to confirm her eligibility to be buried with her husband at the VA National Cemetery at Calverton in Long Island.

Thank you to all of this year’s 2023 NHPCO Annual Leadership Conference honorees and award winners.

###

Press Contact:
Madison Summers
Marketing and Communications Manager
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release
September 20, 2023  

(Alexandria, Virginia) – On September 18, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), LeadingAge, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) met with a representative on the Domestic Policy Council, representing the Biden administration, to discuss major issues with the current design of the hospice special focus program (SFP).  

The coalition of national hospice organizations expressed concern that the current design of the SFP does not capture truly poor performing hospices and as its currently designed, would wrongly label good hospice providers among the bottom 10 percent. This would result in beneficiary access issues in rural and underserved communities.  

“We are urging the White House to have CMS go back to work with the Technical Expert Panel to create a better formula that captures poor performing hospices and helps them raise the quality of care they deliver,” said Logan Hoover, NHPCO’s VP of Policy and Government Relations. “NHPCO and the other leading national hospice organizations will continue to meet with stakeholders in the administration and congress to bring awareness to critical flaws in the current version of the special focus program and to shape a program that can identify and help improve the performance of truly poor performing providers.”  

The White House staff and hospice leaders engaged in thoughtful conversation as both sides work to ensure that hospice benefit beneficiaries have access to the highest quality hospice care.  

### 

About NHPCO 

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 provides education and resources to support that mission. Together with our advocacy partner, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), we serve as the leading voice advancing public policy to improve serious-illness and end-of-life care, while our CaringInfo program provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers. nhpco.org. 

 Press Contact:
Madison Summers
Phone: 571-412-3973
Email: msummers@nhpco.org