FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2024
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(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) hosted its annual leadership conference (ALC2024) in Denver, Colorado September 14–18, 2024. This conference is the final conference that legacy NHPCO is hosting as it joins with the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) to become the National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance). NAHC will host its final conference on October 20-24, 2024, in Tampa, Florida.  

Over 1,000 attendees and exhibitors joined for the in-person program which included action-packed days of keynotes, concurrent education sessions, networking opportunities, award presentations, and celebrations. 

Early arrival attendees participated in four pre-conference workshops: the Hospice Manager Development Program Foundation Course, the Hospice Compliance Certificate Program, the Hospice Quality Certificate Program, and the Goals of Care Communication workshop. Sunday concluded with the Kickoff Keynote, Joseph Stern, MD, author of Grief Connects Us: A Neurosurgeon’s Lessons on Love, Loss, and Compassion. 

Monday, September 16 was the first full day of the main conference. Attendees joined the Opening Keynote, Daniel Kraft, MD, healthcare futurist, innovator, physician, and scientist. Before Kraft took the stage, inaugural CEO for the Alliance, Steven Landers, MD, MPH, shared remarks about the future of the care at home community, its strength in unity, and what members can expect from the Alliance. “This is not just about healthcare; it’s about our society, our compassion, our love for one another,” said Landers.  

Tuesday began with a keynote session starring Marilu Henner, actress, author, and hospice advocate, before attendees networked with exhibitors and colleagues and attended a variety of concurrent education sessions. The day concluded with the National Hospice Foundation 2024 Gala. 

During the gala, attendees enjoyed delicious food and drinks, danced to the Diamond Empire Band, and participated in live and silent auctions. Thanks to the generous support of attendees, the National Hospice Foundation, NHPCO’s fundraising affiliate, raised over $200,000 throughout the evening. All funds will support the Lighthouse of Hope fund to help fulfill patients’ last wishes. 

On the last day of the conference, attendees gathered for the final keynote, Steven Garner, hospice prison reform and transformation consultant. Before leaving Denver, attendees joined one of five final concurrent education sessions. 

As NHPCO celebrates the lasting impact its member have had since 1978 and looks ahead to the Alliance, ALC2024 also served as an opportunity to recognize, celebrate, and honor the many leaders from across the nation who played critical roles in shaping the hospice and palliative care community. 

The hospice, palliative, and home care community can look forward to continued opportunities for education and engagement through the National Alliance for Care at Home. The Alliance is encouraging hospice, palliative care, home care, home health, Medicaid HCBS, and pediatric care providers to save the dates for conferences to be held July 27-29, 2024, in Chicago, and November 2-4, 2025, in New Orleans. More details about the structure and specific focus of those conferences will be shared in the coming months.  

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About NHPCO
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is the nation’s largest and oldest membership association for providers who care for people affected by serious and life-limiting illness. Our members deliver and expand access to high-quality, person-centered interdisciplinary care to millions of Americans. NHPCO provides education and resources to support that mission. Together with our advocacy partner, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), we advance public policy to improve serious-illness and end-of-life care, while our CaringInfo program provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers. NHPCO is currently in the process of joining with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) to form the National Alliance for Care at Home. 

About the National Alliance for Care at Home
The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is a new national organization representing providers of home care, home health, hospice, palliative care, and other health care services mainly delivered in the home. The Alliance brings together two organizations with nearly 90 years of combined experience: NAHC and NHPCO. NAHC and NHPCO are in the process of combining operations to better serve members and lead into the future of care offered in the home. Learn more at www.AllianceForCareAtHome.org. 

Press Contact
Elyssa Katz, NHPCO Marketing and Communications Manager
ekatz@nhpco.org  |  571-281-0220