Circle of Life Award: Celebrating Innovation in Palliative and End-of-Life Care

The 2027 Application Period Is Now Open

The application period for the 2027 Circle of Life Award is open May 20 through July 15, at 1 p.m. ET. The Circle of Life Award celebrates innovative organizations that provide direct patient care for patients with serious or life-limiting illness and demonstrate exceptional commitment to palliative and end-of-life care.

Download a non-submittable 2027 Circle of Life Award application preview.

Download the application instructions.

2025 Circle of Life Award Honorees

Congratulations to 2025 Circle of Life Winners Bristol Hospice - Hawaii, Honolulu, and Gilchrist, Baltimore. AHA was pleased to recognize the two organizations at the AHA Leadership Summit in Nashville. 

Winners of the 2026 Circle of Life Award will be announced at the 2026 AHA Leadership Summit in Denver, July 12-14.

To learn more about Bristol Hospice - Hawaii and Gilchrist, watch the celebratory video or download the honoree booklet.

2026 Circle of Life Award Sponsors

Supporting sponsors of the 2026 award are the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association. Contributing sponsors are the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, the Center to Advance Palliative Care, the Hospice & Palliative Nurses Association/the Hospice & Palliative Credentialing Center/the Hospice & Palliative Nurses Foundation, and the National Association of Social Workers.

About the Award

Readiness

How do you know if your organization is ready to apply for a Circle of Life Award?

An innovative palliative or end-of-life care provider that is measuring and evaluating the impact of its work on patients, family and/or the community is ready to apply for a Circle of Life Award.

Honorees typically are:

• Emphasizing coordinated or integrated care delivery throughout all settings.
• Engaging all populations.
• Promoting palliative care in a multitude of populations.
• Using strategies for engaging communities.
• Creating partnerships with other health care organizations and practitioners and initiatives within long-term care facilities.

Please contact circleoflife@aha.org with questions.

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