NHPCO President & CEO J. Donald Schumacher Joins the Board of the National Health Council

Categories: Leadership.

The National Health Council, based in Washington, DC, provides a united voice for the millions of people with chronic diseases and disabilities and their family caregivers.

NHC is governed by a volunteer board of directors made up of representatives from the organization’s various membership categories. Board members set the strategic direction and establish policy to guide the NHC in meeting its mission to provide a united voice for people with chronic diseases and disabilities and their family caregivers.

“I’m honored to join such an esteemed group of professionals working on behalf of the National Health Council and the many constituencies the organization serves,” said Schumacher. “Many of the principles found at the heart of the hospice palliative care philosophy are ones that can benefit the broader healthcare landscape in this county.”

NHC strongly believes that everyone deserves a health care system that puts patients first– this is a strongly held principle among hospice and palliative professionals and Dr. Schumacher looks forward to helping NHC achieve its mission.

Since 2002, Dr Schumacher has served as the President and CEO of NHPCO, the largest non-profit leadership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the world.

In 2003, he was appointed as the President and CEO of NHPCO’s affiliated organization, the National Hospice Foundation. He became the President of the FHSSA (formerly the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa) in 2004. He became the President of The Hospice Action Network in 2007.

Dr Schumacher served as the President and CEO of The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, Buffalo, New York from 1989 to 2002. During his tenure, he led the development of an integrated hospice campus in the Buffalo, New York area, launching a variety of hospice-related organizations including nursing homes and mental health and paediatric care facilities, as well as a highly-regarded bereavement education program. Among his other notable professional endeavours, Dr Schumacher was the President and Founder of The Hospice of Mission Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, which was established as one of the first HIV/AIDS hospices in the US.

An active public speaker, Dr Schumacher has presented domestically and internationally on topics such as strategic planning for hospices, palliative care policy development, and clinical guidelines for HIV.

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