NHPCO Statement in Response to Recent Events
For Immediate Release:
June 1, 2020
NHPCO Statement in Response to Acts of Racism and Violence and Need to Address Structural Racism and Health Inequities in the U.S.
(Alexandria, Va.) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) stands against racism, hate and violence. Across the nation, people are grieving, and we grieve alongside them.
NHPCO’s vision is a world where individuals and families facing serious illness, death, and grief will experience the best that humankind can offer. We demand that every life be valued and respected, and we believe in care without barriers. Everyone deserves compassion, comfort, peace and dignity during life’s most intimate and vulnerable experiences. This is not possible without eliminating the structural racism and health inequities that plague our health system and have resulted in racial minorities bearing a disproportionate burden of death and illness.
In addition to more than four decades of providing high-quality, compassionate care for people facing serious and life-limiting illness and the grief that accompanies loss, our community has a long history of caring for the broader community during difficult times. We have brought compassion and hope for those in need during natural disasters, public health crises, and public tragedies – and we are here for all those who need us now.
As part of our commitment of service to our country to lead efforts advancing person- and family-centered care, NHPCO seeks to increase access to hospice and community-based palliative care services within diverse communities, and our Diversity Advisory Council provides information, guidance and technical expertise related to serving diverse communities with the goal of increasing access to universal hospice and palliative care services for those who are underserved. We welcome ideas from the broader minority community who understands the issues firsthand.
NHPCO commits to providing resources to hospice and palliative care providers as they work to improve access to person-centered, interdisciplinary care among minority and underserved populations.
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Media Contact:
Jon Radulovic
Vice President, Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973