Press Release

Center to Advance Palliative Care to Receive AHA Award of Honor

Contact:
AHA Press Room - (202) 797-4840
After April 29th - David Allen - (202) 626-2284
or Elizabeth Lietz - (202) 626-2284

Washington D.C.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) will present its Award of Honor to the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) in New York, N.Y., in recognition of its outstanding contributions to improving the health status of communities and the nation. The award recognizes exemplary contributions to the health and well-being of people through leadership on major health policies or social initiatives.  The award will be presented at a ceremony on Monday, April 27 during the AHA's annual meeting in Washington, DC. 

CAPC is a national organization dedicated to increasing the availability of quality palliative care services for people facing serious, complex illness.  It provides health care professionals with the tools, training and technical assistance necessary to start and sustain successful palliative care programs in hospitals and other health care settings.

"CAPC has been instrumental in helping hospitals and caregivers better understand the role of palliative care as part of patient care," said Rich Umbdenstock, AHA president and CEO.  "Under CAPC's leadership, hospitals and other health care settings nationwide are increasing the availability of quality palliative care services for people with serious, complex illness, their families and caregivers."

Since CAPC's inception in November 1999, it has helped approximately 1,600 hospitals and health care systems develop palliative care services through its seminars and Palliative Care Leadership Centers™ (PCLC) training and mentoring.  PCLCs are located in nine hospitals across America.

Paul Hofmann, Dr.PH, president of Hofmann Healthcare Group in Moraga, Calif., will also receive the Award of Honor this year. 

Previous Award of Honor winners include Regina M. Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A, founder and CEO of Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in Bayou La Batre, Ala., Alfred G. Stubblefield, president and CEO of Baptist Health Care in Pensacola, Fla., Edward A. Eckenhoff, president and CEO of the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) in Washington, D.C., Stanley F. Hupfeld, president and CEO of INTEGRIS Health in Oklahoma City, James W. Varnum, president of Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital in Lebanon, N.H., Jordan J. Cohen, MD, president of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Sister Mary Jean Ryan, president and CEO of SSM Health in St. Louis, Mo., Ron Anderson, president and CEO, Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas, Texas, Steven A. Schroeder, M.D., former president and CEO of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Donald M. Berwick, M.D., president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.  Organizations such as Johnson & Johnson, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices and Habitat for Humanity have also been honored.

About AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes more than 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, and 38,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends.