Awards & Contests sponsored by NHPCO, NCHPP & NHF

Currently, a committee of representatives from our family of affiliated organizations is reviewing all the award categories with the intention of revising our recognition program to support and complement the strategic plans of our organizations. This work will continue through 2010 with the new awards and recognition program scheduled to be unveiled in 2011. Thank you for your patience as we work to enhance our awards and recognition process.

Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Awards

NHPCO, the National Council of Hospice and Palliative Professionals (NCHPP) and the National Hospice Foundation will present three national awards at this year’s Clinical Team Conference (September 13-15, 2010; Atlanta, GA). Volunteers who have made an extraordinary commitment to the hospice and palliative care field and whose contributions have made a demonstrable difference in the lives of patients/families and/or organizations are being sought for the following awards:

Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Award
Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Award
Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Award

Click here for more information on the nomination process and links to the online submission form.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, July 9, 2010.

NHPCO's 2010 Photography and Writing Contest

Submissions for the 2010 NHPCO Hospice and Palliative Care Photography and Writing Contest are being accepted May 30 to July 16, 2010 from NHPCO members. This year there is not a film/video category but that category will be included every couple of years.

Circle of Life Awards

The Circle of Life Awards honor innovative programs to improve the care people receive near the end of their lives, whether in a hospital, hospice, nursing home, or home. The Circle of Life Awards are sponsored by NHPCO and NHF, along with the American Hospital Association in conjunction with the American Medical Association, and American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. The 2009 Circle of Life Awards were presented in July in San Francisco. Please visit the AHA Circle of Life Web site for more information. Read NHPCO's press release about this year's recipients.

Awards Presented at National Conference in Dallas (10/31/08) – learn more about this distinguished award recipients.

Awards Recognizing Research and Researchers

Research Award (Sponsored by NHPCO)
NHPCO presents the Research Award to recognize exemplary contributions to furthering quality research in the hospice community.
Distinguished Researcher Award (Sponsored by NHPCO)
The Distinguished Researcher Award recognizes an outstanding body of research that has contributed to the enhancement of hospice and palliative care.
- Criteria & Past Recipients

Additional Awards and Contests Sponsored by NHPCO, NCHPP, and NHF

Awards of Excellence in Education (Sponsored by NCHPP)
Hospice and palliative care programs have a successful history of innovation and creativity in the design of educational programs-from programs to train volunteers to those which address a specific community need. NCHPP is pleased to sponsor these awards to recognize hospice and palliative care programs that demonstrate outstanding achievement and excellence in the design, promotion and offering of educational programs.

Excellence in Teamwork Award (Sponsored by NCHPP)
This award recognizes teamwork that makes a significant, innovative, and extraordinary contribution to hospice. Formally established teams or groups of individuals are eligible, and are nominated by directors of hospices or state hospice organizations.

Their contribution should be significant in that it makes a major contribution to a community, patients and families, an organization, or a hospice at large; innovative, in that it is unique, creative, and inspirational-and serves as a model or resource for other hospices; and extraordinary, in that the level of accomplishment far exceeds ordinary standards of excellence. A group or team can be nominated for this award by a hospice executive director, state hospice director, or hospice manager. The nomination process consists of sending in a completed nomination form; a 750-word essay that documents the impact of the teamwork; and two letters of support.

The Founders Award (Sponsored by NHPCO)
This award recognizes an individual of national or international stature with longevity and inspiration in the hospice movement – an individual who has demonstrated tenaciousness in spite of setbacks and who has evidenced a pioneer spirit in opening the frontiers of healthcare and hospice.

Heart of Hospice Award (Sponsored by NCHPP)
This award recognizes NCHPP (National Council of Hospice & Palliative Professionals) members who have attained repeated outstanding achievements in hospice and made contributions with impact beyond hospice. These persons have shown creativity and courage to achieve a demonstrated difference in the areas of exceptional service, program creation, administrative development, innovative research, or educational advancement. This is the highest recognition for hospice professionals given by hospice professionals.

NHF Hospice Champion Award (Sponsored by NHF)
This award recognizes corporations, foundations or individuals who, by their exemplary contributions to hospice, have shown themselves to be champions of the hospice movement.

Person of the Year Award (Sponsored by NHPCO)
NHPCO’s Person of the Year is a true supporter of the hospice cause, giving above and beyond what is required or expected. The person may have special abilities, which are used for the benefit of hospice and palliative care, but the person is not a paid hospice or palliative care professional. The person brings the hospice concept to the public in a special way, such as through the media, celebrity status, or stature in business, Congress, or another field. The Person of the Year is nominated and selected by the NHPCO Board and the award is presented annually or as appropriate. The goal is for the award to be presented before a hospice and palliative care audience in recognition of an achievement that is particularly meaningful to professional members of the hospice and palliative care community.

The Public Empowerment Award, formerly Public Engagement Award (Sponsored by NHF)
This award is given in recognition of a major media-oriented project, event, group, or individual who has significantly supported and advanced NHF’s public engagement goal of increasing public awareness to hospice care.