For Immediate Release
May 25, 2022

NHPCO Provides New Resource to Support Outreach to Chinese American Communities

NHPCO’s Diversity Advisory Council Developed New Guide to
Improve Equity and Increase Access to Hospice and Palliative Care

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) today released a new Chinese American Resource Guide to support hospice and palliative care providers’ work to deepen connections with Chinese American communities as part of the effort to improve equitable access to serious-illness and end-of-life care. The new guide was developed by NHPCO’s Diversity Advisory Council in partnership with the Chinese American Coalition for Compassionate Care (CACCC). Published as part of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2022, the guide builds on and replaces a previous resource, and is part of a body of NHPCO resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

NHPCO President & CEO, Edo Banach, said, “To improve access to hospice and palliative care, providers must connect with different populations in their communities, build relationships, and deepen understanding about the care they provide. The data show that the number of people choosing hospice care has grown for twenty years. Yet, the uptake amongst white Medicare beneficiaries remains higher than among their Asian, Black, Hispanic, or Native Americans peers. To get to equitable access, providers need to focus on making connections with these communities. The Chinese American Resource Guide is one tool in a suite of resources developed by our Diversity Advisory Council for this purpose. This effort is so important that we making these resources available to both NHPCO members and non-members on our website.”

Research shows that Chinese Americans often have low levels of familiarity with hospice and would like to learn more. This guide can help providers bridge that gap. Topics covered in the guide include an overview of Chinese American cultural beliefs, resources for community engagement, a glossary with English to Chinese translations of terms related to hospice and palliative care, and outreach strategies to increase access and quality of care for aging and critically ill Chinese Americans.

“NHPCO’s Chinese American Resource Guide examines the importance of partnerships to advance best practices in community engagement, Advance Care Planning, training and utilizing volunteers, and developing culture-specific end-of-life resources,” said Sandy Chen Stokes, founder of CACCC and member of NHPCO’s Diversity Advisory Council. “The Guide benefits from knowledge gained through collaborations with local, state, and national end-of-life experts who understand the importance of cultural and ethnic considerations in end-of-life decision-making.”

The Chinese American Resource Guide is available for download at nhpco.org/diversity, the page that serves as a hub for NHPCO’s diversity, equity, and inclusion resources, including the overarching resource, titled the Inclusion and Access Toolkit, and the Spanish-language version of the toolkit, Descargar Kit de Herramientas de Inclusión y Acceso, as well as the Black and African American Outreach Guide, the Latino Outreach Guide, and the LGBTQ+ Resource Guide. Users whose organizations are not members of NHPCO will have to provide their contact information in order to access each resource. Members can access these resources by simply logging into the site.

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Contact:
Caleb Tiller
ctiller@nhpco.org
Ph: 571-412-4032