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Supporting Trans Rights

2023 NHPCO Annual Leadership Conference

Audience and Outcomes Continuing Education Exhibitors and Supporters Frequently Asked Questions Fundraising Gala Health and Safety Keynotes Meeting Community Needs Supporting Trans Rights Pre-Conference Workshops Rates and Registration Scholarships

Supporting Trans Rights

Some members have raised concerns about NHPCO holding a conference in Arkansas given recent legislation discriminating against transgender individuals. These bills target healthcare providers providing gender-affirming care to minors and usage of school and public restrooms.

Through our ongoing work on LGBTQ+ rights and access, NHPCO stands with the LGBTQ+ community across the country to support their rights and freedoms, including equal access to healthcare. Through a variety of activities and efforts connected to ALC2023, we seek to make the conference a welcoming space and to provide opportunities for attendees to learn about and support LGBTQ+ rights, support LGBTQ+ hospice staff, and advance equitable access to hospice care. ALC2023 provides insight and education so that all people receive the highest quality of care.

It is important to acknowledge the harm and pain caused to our trans and non-binary colleagues and hospice patients as bills targeting the transgender community continue to be codified into laws across the nation.

These bills, which build on a legacy of laws and policies that exclude populations of people based on individual characteristics, cause unnecessary harm to already vulnerable populations. NHPCO believes that every person deserves to live with dignity and respect and without fear of discrimination or violence. Everyone should have the right to be safe and comfortable in restrooms. Everyone should have the right to receive quality healthcare services. As such, we firmly oppose these discriminatory measures.

NHPCO is committed to making ALC2023 a welcoming space and using the conference to create connections and learning opportunities that will help advance conversations around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and specifically LGBTQ+ rights, including:

      • Offering opportunities for attendees to engage with, learn from, and support local organizations and leaders working to protect LGBTQ+ people and rights.
      • Providing education sessions designed to support DEI goals, LGBTQ+ rights, and equitable access to healthcare.
      • Providing gender-neutral restrooms for attendees.

Additionally, starting with ALC2023, NHPCO has created a new conference initiative called Meeting Community Needs to work in partnership with host cities and local members to impact positive change based on the needs of the local community. Our aim is to show how hospice and palliative care providers and industry partners can do well by doing good in the host cities where we meet.

Further, with the understanding that some individuals may prefer to participate in the conference virtually, we are pleased to offer online, on-demand access to ALC2023 content and resources.

We are grateful to NHPCO members who have engaged us in thoughtful dialogue as we have examined our efforts to ensure we are doing all that we can. We particularly appreciate the leadership of the members of the NHPCO Diversity Advisory Council and the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Arkansas in this regard. We want our members and colleagues who are trans – and who belong to any marginalized community – to know that we hear you, we see you, and we support you. We also recognize that the work to achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion is a never-ending journey filled with opportunities for self-reflection and learning. As we continue to grow and evolve, NHPCO is committed to taking the necessary steps to transform into a truly diverse, inclusive, and equitable organization. That work applies to the 2023 conference and beyond.

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