Kenneth L. Zeri, RN, MS, NHA President & Chief Professional Officer Hospice Hawaii. Inc Honolulu, HI     Kenneth Zeri's Biographical Profile Kenneth Zeri's responses to Candidate Questionnaire

Campaign Statement

Wouldn’t it be great if a small insurance company made the bold move to eliminate the 6-month prognosis requirement for hospice and instead launched a concurrent care model?  Or what if a region’s largest insurance company paid hospitals a bonus for quality, which included setting up systems to engage chronically debilitated or terminally ill patients and families in values based discussions for treatment choices?  What if their success was measured in hospice referrals or POLST forms completed?

In Hawaii we have seen both of these transformations come to being this past year, as a direct result of more than a decade of collaborative effort to reshape our community’s approach to hospice and palliative care.

This is a time of both excitement and concern in our world of hospice and palliative care.  The staff and membership of NHCPO must continue the efforts to shape the future of the Medicare Hospice Benefit.  At the same time we have the very real opportunity to encourage the private sector to spring forward towards newer models of hospice and palliative care.

My experience over the past decade in leading and transforming hospice and palliative care in the state of Hawaii has prepared me to become an NHCPO board member and continue those efforts on a national level. During the past decade, I have worked with not only the private insurers, but also our state legislature.  By gaining credibility and their respect, we have been able to accomplish much. Highlights include:

• The Hospice Reimbursement Act (mandating room & board payments in hospice residential facilities)
• Uniform Advanced Health Care Directives
• 2009 POLST law

Over the years, I have also worked with national and state-wide boards, including the National POLST Paradigm Task Force, Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and Kokua Mau, (the Hawaii Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.) This has given me the experience of thinking on a national or state-wide scope, and creating programs to benefit many.

With over 25 years serving in hospice care, my current role is as the President of a small and thriving freestanding hospice serving both urban and rural settings on two islands (Oahu and Molokai).

Leadership is about thinking differently about the shared opportunities and threats, and it is about being creative and bold.  As a member of the NHPCO Board, I will bring that same passion, commitment, skill and collaborative spirit to the organization. 

I am excited about the opportunity to serve.