Samira Beckwith, LCSW, CHE 
President and CEO
Hope Hospice and Community Services
Fort Myers, FL

Ms. Beckwith's Biographical Profile 
Ms. Beckwith's responses to Candidate Questionnaire
Ms. Beckwith's Interview Responses

Campaign Statement

It has been my privilege and pleasure to serve in positions of leadership on the NHPCO Board since 1989.  As a candidate for National Director, I am delighted with the prospect of continuing my service.  There will always be new opportunities for collaboration, more to learn and share, all for the advancement of hospice and the improvement of healthcare. 

My leadership experience includes participation in organizations at the local, state and national levels.  In addition to my service with NHPCO, I am the Founding President of the Florida PACE Association and past President of the Florida Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.  Because of my experience in providing cost-effective community based healthcare services, Florida Governor-elect Rick Scott appointed me to a leadership position on his Health and Human Services Transition Team.  Previously, Governor Jeb Bush had appointed me to his Long-term Care Policy Council.  It has been my great fortune to lead and serve in so many ways. 

I have found that the key to success in healthcare, as in life itself, is turning challenges into opportunities.  In this sense, our challenges are many: the prospect of rate cuts; increased regulatory scrutiny; economic downturn; healthcare reform; and the baby boomers’ ever-increasing need for more services over a longer period time.  It is up to us to create new opportunities to improve healthcare quality and reduce costs, as well as expand coverage and access for everyone in need.  I am experienced in addressing these challenges and opportunities in all demographic settings, from economically depressed rural counties to cities and suburbs, all rich in cultural diversity.

When I joined Hope Hospice in 1991, the agency was 12 years old.  I recall a board member asking me at the time, “Do you think we will ever have more than 100 patients?”  Twenty years later, the census in all of our programs of care totals nearly 3,000.  We have learned to address unmet needs in new ways with our core hospice competencies, creating new and innovative services, and Hope has thrived.

It would be my honor to share my experiences and perspectives with fellow hospice and palliative care leaders, working together to create our future.  I welcome the opportunity to continue to serve on the NHPCO Board of Directors.