MyHospice Ambassadors Reflect on The Program’s Success and Future Promise
Six years ago, HAN kicked off a volunteer advocacy program for members who had the passion, dedication, and leadership qualities to make a difference for hospice and palliative care. This program is now known as the MyHospice Ambassador program. MyHospice Ambassadors build lasting relationships with legislative offices, mobilize others to take action, and keep their fingers on the pulse of what’s happening in hospice and palliative care policy.
MyHospice Ambassadors on Hill Visits at Hospice Action Week 2023.
Two current MyHospice Ambassadors, Paul Ledford, President & CEO of the Florida Hospice and Palliative Care Association, and Elleah Cavitt, Project Manager with the Indiana School of Medicine, were founding members of the MyHospice Ambassador program. In the fall of 2018, they were two of five individuals who enrolled in a pilot group tasked with crafting an advocacy ambassador program for HAN. In 2019, the program launched as the MyHospice Ambassador Program. In just the first year, MyHospice Ambassadors were holding district-level Congressional Roundtables.
“Being one of the original ambassadors was such an incredible opportunity that helped shape how I viewed and interacted with legislation,” Elleah said. “The program being grassroots also allowed for us to have a say in what we wanted to see come out of the program and to this day, has had a wonderfully collaborative atmosphere.”
Founding MyHospice Ambassador members Paul Ledford (left) and Elleah Cavitt (right) with fellow founding advocate, Sandy Kuhlman (center)
Paul shared the value of the program. “The HAN MyHospice Ambassador program orchestrates and maximizes the impact of the constituent-level touch that policy experts say is critically important to elected officials,” Paul said. “Coupled with other avenues of hospice advocacy – like grasstops, grassroots email alerts, corporate, and contract lobbyists, it fills an important niche to raise awareness with Members of Congress.”
Today, there are over two dozen individuals enrolled in the MyHospice Ambassador Program, representing over half of all US states, with more expected to join before the end of the year. The program is unique as a non-advisory group, where advocates from a wide range of roles and experiences are developed as key grassroots advocacy leaders.
As advocacy assets within their own organizations and within the Alliance, MyHospice Ambassadors serve a variety of important leadership roles. They attend annual Hill Days in Washington, D.C., invite legislators to events at their organizations, speak on panels to educate members about advocacy, and serve as relationship builders with legislators.
MyHospice Ambassadors Dr. Tartania Brown (left), Kandis Draw (center), and Demetress Harrell (right) speaking on a panel at Hospice Action Week 2024.
In honor of the program’s sixth anniversary, several MyHospice Ambassadors shared some of their positive experiences with the program.
Tim Ingram, Executive Vice President for Talen Acquisition, Axxess, TX: “A big part of why I became a MyHospice Ambassador was the hospice care my uncle received. That desire was strongly reinforced as I watched and benefited from the hospice care my mother and father received as they died two years ago. That care increased my desire to expand education about and advocacy for hospice. Advocacy for hospice means sharing the beauty of the hospice benefit with legislators and anyone else who will listen to our stories of lives improved.”
Kandis Draw, Senior Community Health Worker for Advocacy and Research, the HAP Foundation, IL: “Advocacy in this space is critical to bridging the gap for those who might otherwise lack access to quality end-of-life care. It is crucial to promote education around hospice and palliative care in underserved communities. My participation in Hospice Action Week was both positive and rewarding. Being part of an all-Black women panel, where we spoke to new advocates, and filming a segment about my work in end-of-life care were unique and refreshing experiences. I appreciate how HAN has engaged frontline public health workers, allowing us to share our experiences and concerns about end-of-life care and shape the future of hospice advocacy.”
Corey Craig, CEO, Monarch Hospice, KS & MO: “Being a MyHospice Ambassador has been tremendously rewarding. Advocating in hospice is already at the core of what we do. As an ambassador, we get to advocate at a whole new level. We have the ability to make lasting change for more than just our individual agencies, but for the country and field as a whole. Backed by an amazing organization, we are making a difference.”
Angela LaBarca, Business Management Specialist, Corewell Health Hospice & Palliative Care, MI: “Since joining in 2022, it has been the highlight of my career to regularly collaborate with other passionate hospice and palliative care community leaders from across the nation in a shared purpose. I’ve since cultivated meaningful engagement with my legislators and their staff. Impactful experiences from Hill Days, first-rate tools and support from the HAN Team, and my fellow Ambassadors, have empowered me. I have brought legislators to our inpatient hospice residence to see firsthand how we are serving their constituents in the most profound way, the value of which cannot be understated.”
Ally O’Neal, Director of Operations, BAYADA Hospice, PA: “As a MyHospice Ambassador, I find profound joy in the privilege of supporting the patients and families we serve in hospice through positive social change on a deeper level. Being a hospice advocate allows me to amplify the voices of those at the end of life, ensuring that every story is heard, and every wish is honored with dignity and compassion. Advocacy gives me a sense of fulfillment as I can raise awareness about the benefits of hospice care, educating lawmakers and the public about its importance.”
Current MyHospice Ambassadors express great hopes for the future of the program as three entities – the Hospice Action Network, the National Association for Hospice and Home Care, and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, transform into a unified association as the National Alliance for Care at Home.
“My hope is those knowledgeable in the many nuances of hospice and palliative care will be retained as effective advocates, especially as part of the new national association,” founding member Paul Ledford commented.
Fellow founding member Elleah Cavitt shared that optimism. She hopes that the program continues to grow and is interested in outreach and advocacy opportunities for medical students.
“As we look towards the future of care delivery at home, the Hospice Action Network’s MyHospice Ambassador program is the vehicle that drives us on the path to positive change,” said Kevin Tutunjian, a MyHospice Ambassador representing California who has been a part of multiple advocacy panels at legacy NHPCO conferences this year.
Tim Ingram, winner of the 2023 MyHospice Ambassador of the Year Award, expressed great hopes for the future of the program. He hoped that “every single hospice organization and every business supporting hospice has at least one team member dedicated to being an ambassador for hospice.”
Learn more about the MyHospice Ambassador program and view our current member roster here. For more information about the advocacy activities and leadership of MyHospice Ambassadors, subscribe to HAN emails.
