Elected by the NHPCO membership to serve as National Directors for a three-year term are Jeanne Dennis of VNSNY Hospice and Palliative Care, New York City; Michael McHale of Hospice of the Chesapeake, Annapolis; and Greg Wood of Hospice of the Ozarks, Mountain Home, Arkansas.
Joan Harrold, of Hospice & Community Care in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was elected as a Palliative Care Director.
Suzi Johnson, of Sharp Healthcare in Las Mesa, California, was elected as the board’s West Geographic Area Representative, also for a three-year term.
Appointed to the board as International Representative is Sharon Baxter of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. Sandy Kuhlman of Hospice Services, Inc. in Phillipsburg, Kansas, has been appointed as a Sphere of Influence Director for her expertise in providing care in rural areas. David Praill of the UK-based Help the Hospices has been appointed as an International Observer.
Joining the board as National Council of Hospice and Palliative Professionals Representative is Rex Allen of Providence Hospice in Seattle. Jane Moore of the Missouri Hospice & Palliative Care Association in Jefferson City joins the board as Representative from NHPCO’s Council of States.
Ron Fried of VITAS Innovative Hospice Care, based in Miami, will continue in his second year as Board Chair. Additional officers of the board are Linda Rock of Prairie Haven Hospice & Palliative Care in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, as Vice Chair, Samira Beckwith of Hope HealthCare Services in Fort Myers, Florida, as Treasurer, John Thoma of Hospice of Wake County in Raleigh, North Carolina, as Secretary, and J. Donald Schumacher of NHPCO as President.
Joining these board officers to complete the NHPCO executive committee are Mara Benner of Gentiva Health Services based in Atlanta, Kavin Cartmell of Hospice of Hope in Maysville, Kentucky, Jan Jones of the Elizabeth Hospice in Escondido, California, Susan Lloyd of Delaware Hospice in Wilmington, and Linda Todd of Hospice of Siouxland in Sioux CIty, Iowa.
“Our nation’s end-of-life community is increasingly diverse reflecting providers and professionals from a wide range of organizations that vary in size, serve urban and rural areas, are single-site and multi-state, and our board reflects this,” said J. Donald Schumacher, president and CEO of NHPCO. “We are fortunate to have board members who are not only experienced but dedicated to improving care at the end of life through the provision of and access to quality hospice and palliative care services.”
Additionally, NHPCO extends special thanks to the board members who concluded service in 2013: Sally Adelus, Jennifer Hale, Dale Knee, Terry Melvin, Joan Teno, Myrl Weinberg and Immediate Past Chair Mark Murray.
NHPCO is the largest nonprofit, leadership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States. The organization is committed to improving end of life care and expanding access to hospice care with the goal of profoundly enhancing quality of life for people dying in America and their loved ones.
A list of NHPCO’s full board of directors is available in the “About NHPCO” section of the organization’s website.
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