Calling All Hospice Advocates: The HELP Hospice Act has been introduced in the US House as H.R. 3506, and the race is on to get co-sponsors! You can use the Hospice Action Network's Legislative Action Center right now to contact your representative and ask them to sign on- as always the HAN team is available to answer any questions you might have, contact them at info@nhpcohan.org
Visit the HAN Legislative Action Center today!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
National Day of Listening - November 25
NHPCO is National Partner for StoryCorps’ 2011 National Day of Listening
Many Americans know Friday, November 25 as “Black Friday” – traditionally the largest shopping day of the year. However, the nation’s hospice providers want people to know that it’s more than that.November 25 is the third annual National Day of Listening, a national holiday started by the acclaimed oral history nonprofit organization StoryCorps in 2008. It is a day when families are encouraged to give the gift of storytelling to their loved ones, leaving a legacy that’s likely to be treasured more than any gift you could purchase. It is an effort to encourage all Americans to honor a friend, a loved one, or a member of their community by interviewing them about their lives.
As part of November’s National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, NHPCO has been encouraging hospice providers and community coalitions to make the 2011 National Day of Listening part of the outreach efforts for the month.
National Day of Listening participants are encouraged to record their National Day of Listening interviews, using equipment that is readily available in most homes—from cell phones to tape recorders to computers or even pen and paper. StoryCorps has created a free Do-It-Yourself interview guide with equipment recommendations and interview instructions available online at www.nationaldayoflistening.org.
“The idea of listening during the holiday season has clearly resonated with people across the country,” says StoryCorps founder and MacArthur “Genius” Dave Isay. “The National Day of Listening, which coincides with Black Friday, provides a meaningful alternative to holiday consumerism and proves that simply listening to one another is the least expensive and most meaningful gift we can give.”
“Life review is an important activity that hospices use with the patients and families they care for at the end of life,” says J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO. “So StoryCorps’ National Day of Listening is something we strongly support and we’re pleased to be a national partner.”
To see how more people across the country are celebrating this year’s National Day of Listening, visit: www.nationaldayoflistening.org.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
New NHPCO Quality Resource Center Online
NHPCO is pleased to announce the launch of the Quality Resource Center web page. NHPCO, with assistance from the Quality and Standards Committee, has revised and enhanced its online quality resource offerings to better assist the hospice community to meet CMS quality reporting requirements, as well as to continue to build organizational excellence and improve hospice and palliative care delivery and outcomes.
The Quality Resource Center offers tools to assess and improve the quality of hospice care and services, information and resources for compliance with the new CMS quality reporting requirements, NHPCO’s Standards of Hospice Care, NHPCO Staffing Guidelines and QAPI Resources. The Resource Center also includes the NHPCO Quality Partners program resources and the Self-Assessment System.
Access the Quality Resource Center today to learn more.
The Quality Resource Center offers tools to assess and improve the quality of hospice care and services, information and resources for compliance with the new CMS quality reporting requirements, NHPCO’s Standards of Hospice Care, NHPCO Staffing Guidelines and QAPI Resources. The Resource Center also includes the NHPCO Quality Partners program resources and the Self-Assessment System.
Access the Quality Resource Center today to learn more.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
A Serious SuperCommittee Debrief and A Request for Your Help
The pressure is on the SuperCommittee to come up with a plan and we want to make sure that they know where we stand. NHPCO's Hospice Action Network shares an assessment of the situation. Our message will be so much more powerful if all hospice advocates could take a few minutes to call their Congressional offices with 5 important points for them to pass along to SuperCommittee Members.
Visit the HAN action center online for our SuperCommittee summary and to take action today!
http://capwiz.com/nhpco/home/
Visit the HAN action center online for our SuperCommittee summary and to take action today!
http://capwiz.com/nhpco/home/
Monday, November 7, 2011
NHF’s Run to Remember Had Record Number of Runners Raising Awareness and Support in October
At four national marathon events in October 2011, the National Hospice Foundation’s Run to Remember athletic fundraising program saw 168 runners raise more than $130,000 in support of hospice care.
October’s events began with runners traversing the Bourbon Trail for the third running of the Bourbon Chase Relay (Oct. 7 – 8) covering 200 miles amidst the hills of Kentucky. Eight teams of 12 athletes each were running on behalf of National Hospice Foundation’s Run to Remember.
As the Bourbon Chase teams crossed the finish line, they were greeted by 40 hospice volunteers from Lexington’s own Hospice of the Bluegrass proudly welcoming them in and thanking the team members who raised over $46,000.
The day after the Bourbon Chase, attention moved north to the Windy City for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, the second largest marathon in the country. A team of 12 marathoners participated in support of Run to Remember and raised more than $24,000 for hospice.
The Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon (10/21/11) enjoyed the special distinction of being this year’s National Hospice Foundation National Memorial Race, a new designation highlighting one marathon per year as a special hospice effort.
NHF Executive Director John Mastrojohn, III, was invited to help start the sold-out race in Columbus that brought 17,000 runners and walkers to Ohio. Staff and volunteers from six Columbus area hospice programs lined the route, cheering on runners and walkers, and showing their pride for hospice.
“The Columbus Marathon, our National Memorial Race, was an excellent example of how hospices benefit from Run to Remember, over and above the money that’s raised,” Mastrojohn remarked. “Our RTR team had more than 30 runners and walkers who brought in well over $10,000 but the amount of goodwill and awareness of hospice that was raised was immeasurable.”
The 36th annual Marine Corps Marathon (10/29/11) saw 21,250 runners following a 26-mile course through the nation’s capital and along the banks of the Potomac River. Runners came within a couple miles of the National Hospice Foundation’s home at the national Center for Care at the End of Life. Among them were 30 hospice heroes, proudly running under the banner of NHF’s Run to Remember program.
These athletes and hospice supporters gathered at a reception at the National Center the evening before the race. Even the evening before the race they had reason to celebrate, before the marathon began this RTR team had raised nearly $50,000 – a record for a RTR Marine Corps Marathon team.
Notable among the team were NHF Trustee Eleanor Blayney who raised $24,000 designated for NHF’s campaign for the National Center for Care at the End of Life as well as ultra-marathoner Jim Smith. Smith ran a “victory lap” at the Marine Corp Marathon, capping his series of endurance races this summer that raised more than $13,000 for We Honor Veterans – a pioneering program helping hospices better serve our nation’s Veterans at life’s end.
“Four marathons, 168 runners and untold number of hospice volunteers raised more than $130,000 for NHF’s Run to Remember. These are not only funds to support the critically important work hospice is doing to help those at the end of life’s journey but it raised awareness and helped fuel the passion we share for compassionate care,” added Mastrojohn.
To learn more about Run to Remember or make a donation in support of a specific runner, please visit http://www.runtoremember.org/.
October’s events began with runners traversing the Bourbon Trail for the third running of the Bourbon Chase Relay (Oct. 7 – 8) covering 200 miles amidst the hills of Kentucky. Eight teams of 12 athletes each were running on behalf of National Hospice Foundation’s Run to Remember.
As the Bourbon Chase teams crossed the finish line, they were greeted by 40 hospice volunteers from Lexington’s own Hospice of the Bluegrass proudly welcoming them in and thanking the team members who raised over $46,000.
The day after the Bourbon Chase, attention moved north to the Windy City for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, the second largest marathon in the country. A team of 12 marathoners participated in support of Run to Remember and raised more than $24,000 for hospice.
The Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon (10/21/11) enjoyed the special distinction of being this year’s National Hospice Foundation National Memorial Race, a new designation highlighting one marathon per year as a special hospice effort.
NHF Executive Director John Mastrojohn, III, was invited to help start the sold-out race in Columbus that brought 17,000 runners and walkers to Ohio. Staff and volunteers from six Columbus area hospice programs lined the route, cheering on runners and walkers, and showing their pride for hospice.
“The Columbus Marathon, our National Memorial Race, was an excellent example of how hospices benefit from Run to Remember, over and above the money that’s raised,” Mastrojohn remarked. “Our RTR team had more than 30 runners and walkers who brought in well over $10,000 but the amount of goodwill and awareness of hospice that was raised was immeasurable.”
The 36th annual Marine Corps Marathon (10/29/11) saw 21,250 runners following a 26-mile course through the nation’s capital and along the banks of the Potomac River. Runners came within a couple miles of the National Hospice Foundation’s home at the national Center for Care at the End of Life. Among them were 30 hospice heroes, proudly running under the banner of NHF’s Run to Remember program.
These athletes and hospice supporters gathered at a reception at the National Center the evening before the race. Even the evening before the race they had reason to celebrate, before the marathon began this RTR team had raised nearly $50,000 – a record for a RTR Marine Corps Marathon team.
Notable among the team were NHF Trustee Eleanor Blayney who raised $24,000 designated for NHF’s campaign for the National Center for Care at the End of Life as well as ultra-marathoner Jim Smith. Smith ran a “victory lap” at the Marine Corp Marathon, capping his series of endurance races this summer that raised more than $13,000 for We Honor Veterans – a pioneering program helping hospices better serve our nation’s Veterans at life’s end.
“Four marathons, 168 runners and untold number of hospice volunteers raised more than $130,000 for NHF’s Run to Remember. These are not only funds to support the critically important work hospice is doing to help those at the end of life’s journey but it raised awareness and helped fuel the passion we share for compassionate care,” added Mastrojohn.
To learn more about Run to Remember or make a donation in support of a specific runner, please visit http://www.runtoremember.org/.
Friday, November 4, 2011
NHPCO 2012 Education Catalog
Download the 2012 Educational Catalog (PDF) and map out your 2012 professional development plan. NHPCO’s 2012 educational programming offers something for every staff person and volunteer in your organization – from seasoned clinicians, to new office staff. In addition to traditional “onsite” conferences, NHPCO offers Webinars, online learning courses and a virtual conference to ensure that all programs, regardless of size or geographic location, can afford to experience the highest caliber education.
The PDF is also available on the NHPCO Education landing page online.