Our Advocacy Efforts
The National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care (NCHPC) advocates for patients and their families with serious or life-limiting illnesses on matters affecting equitable access to quality palliative care and hospice care. As a coalition, we work side-by-side with our members to be the voice at a national level on issues that matter to the interdisciplinary field of palliative care and hospice across the lifespan. As a result, the NCHPC coalition advocates for legislative and regulatory policies that advance palliative care and/or any model focused on the improvement of serious illness care through developing consensus-based actions and recommendations.
Our best role is to convene member organizations to advocate for equitable policies and streamline access to information regarding best practices and quality standards for palliative care and hospice care for those who need it across the lifespan. The coalition meets via teleconference, is organized by work groups, advisory groups, and is responsible for, among other things, the on-going revision of the National Consensus Project Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care (NCP Guidelines). We strive for outcomes that:
- Establish consensus-based, transparent legislative and regulatory goals and objectives
- Integrate equity as a foundational principle and key priority across hospice and palliative care policy agendas
- Encourage the adoption of quality standards that are embraced throughout the profession and utilized in policy efforts
- Advocate for investments in federal funding for research across the lifespan at the National Institutes of Health and other agencies
- Continue to support the expansion and adoption of home and community-based hospice and palliative care regardless of where they are located
We believe that patients, their families, and caregivers are always the intended beneficiaries of our work, regardless of race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or ability.
Our Strategic Priorities
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Advance health equity for patients with serious illness across the lifespan and their caregivers
All people with serious illness should have access to quality palliative care regardless of their location, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or ability.
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Advocate for legislative and regulatory policy changes that advance quality palliative care and hospice care
The National Coalition HPC will be the lead convener of organizations focused on palliative care and hospice care to be a unified voice at a national level on issues that matter to the interdisciplinary field.
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Disseminate best practices, research, and data to advance the field
Patients deserve a primary and specialty workforce and universal quality standards to meet their palliative care and hospice care needs.
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Create a sustainable foundation for the National Coalition HPC
Increase pathways and partnerships in the interdisciplinary field to strengthen our work together.
Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, 4th edition
Create a blueprint for excellence by establishing a comprehensive foundation for gold-standard palliative care, including evidence-based processes and practices for providing safe and reliable high-quality care for all people living with serious illness, regardless of their diagnosis, prognosis, age or where they live or receive care.
Action Alert: Support PCHETA
The Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA) establishes Palliative Care and Hospice Education Programs to improve the training of health professionals, establish a national campaign to inform patients, families and health professionals about the benefits of palliative care, and expand NIH funds to improve the delivery of palliative care to patients with serious illness.
