Everyone has a role to play in speaking out for better hospice and palliative care policies. But for many providers, participating in legislative advocacy can be intimidating. How do you get started? Who has the time? Can you really make a difference? At this year’s NHPCO IDC Virtual Conference, three MyHospice Ambassadors discussed these issues, sharing their experiences and insights as frontline providers and frontline advocates.
NHPCO submitted comments highlighting hospice and palliative care providers’ expertise and dedication to providing care at home in rural and underserved communities. As innovators in providing individualized care to patients and families at home, NHPCO encouraged the Committee to look to hospice and palliative care when considering how other providers can best deliver care and…
Trey Gibson encourages advocates to not shy away from showing emotions when telling their stories. “It’s okay to cry. Bring some tissues,” he says. “It’s hard for me to tell Emilie’s story without my nose twitching. I miss her terribly, and that’s okay.”
“Emilie’s illness felt like a race in many ways,” Trey Gibson recalls, “At one point during that race, someone asked me about how things were going, and I replied that I don’t like to lose.” After Emilie’s death, the Gibsons were determined to continue Emilie’s legacy. “My wife Candi and I just decided that we needed to keep running. We needed to contribute. We didn’t want our daughter to die in vain.”
NHPCO submitted a sign-on letter representing the needs, concerns, and experiences of over 80 organizations across the nation providing hospice and palliative care to rural and frontier communities. Highlighted issues included closure of partner providers and facilities, staffing shortages, staff safety, telehealth and broadband access, lower effective payment rates, and access to Medicare certified facilities.
On Wednesday, June 7 hospice and palliative care advocates from across the nation made a difference and presented a united voice in Washington, DC. As a part of the annual Hospice Action Hill Day, over 70 NHPCO and HAN advocates gathered to make legislative visits on Capitol Hill in support of key policy priorities impacting…
As the beltway is entrenched in a busy time of the year, focusing on a big infrastructure and reconciliation package, funding the government and raising the debt-ceiling, the Hospice Action Network is working closely with the hospice and palliative care champions on the Hill, and within the Department of Health and Human Services, to advance…
