February  2007

Greetings from the 2007 Annual Assembly sponsored by HPNA and AAHPM,
in progress at the Salt Palace Convention Center , Salt Lake City , Utah .

More than 200 participants took advantage of the 5 HPNA pre-conference workshops yesterday and over 1,800 participants join us for the educational sessions about to commence.  

At the Opening Plenary Session this morning, Janet Snapp, President of the HPNA Board of Directors, made the following announcement:

“Good morning!  As President of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, I am honored to add our words of welcome to this outstanding group.  We are pleased to see so many of our colleagues gathered together for what promises to be an outstanding conference.

The HPNA Board of Directors would like to announce the winner of our more prestigious award – the Leading the Way Award.  The winner this year is Dr. Pam Hinds. 

Dr. Pamela Hinds is the Director, Division of Nursing Research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis , TN , a full member of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as well as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee College of Nursing and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.  With more than 25 years experience in research, Dr. Hinds has been the principle investigator of numerous research grants is widely published with more than 150 manuscripts, as well as textbooks, guidebooks, monographs and book chapters and has been the recipient of numerous awards.  Dr. Hinds’ primary interest in research includes decision making, quality of life, fatigue and end of life.  She is actively involved in many ways with the Children’s Oncology Group as well as the Oncology Nursing Society where she chaired the ONS Multi-site Research Project Team and was a member of the National Quality Forum Review Committee, Framework and Preferred Practices for Palliative and Hospice Care Quality.  Dr. Hinds presents extensively and currently serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing and as a reviewer for many other peer reviewed journals. Dr. Hinds credits her husband, as well as sons Ben and Adam, for all these successes.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Pam Hinds, 2007 HPNA Leading the Way award winner.”     

Additionally Judy Lentz, the CEO of HPNA, addressed the attendees:

“HPNA is very proud to be in our third year as the administrative home of the National Consensus Project.  The NCP, as we fondly refer to this project, has been very successful to date:  FIRST with the completion and release in April, 2004 of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, SECOND in completing a wide dissemination of these guidelines to more than 150 associations with formal endorsements of over 40 organizations, at least 22 major publications including journal articles in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, nearly 35 presentations at professional conferences, assemblies and symposiums and much more.  The THIRD and most significant of our accomplishments has been the fact that the National Quality Forum utilized the NCP Guidelines as a foundation to establish the NQF Framework and Preferred Practices for Hospice and Palliative Care Quality document.  This now clears the way to establish quality indicators for future reimbursement and monitoring of quality in palliative care.   NQF has literally just announced the release of this document.  How very timely to coordinate their announcement with our conference!! “

HPNA's Distinguished Career Achievement Award

On Friday, February 17, Elizabeth Pitorak will be honored for her remarkable career and her major contributions in the area of research and development, career, and education in hospice and palliative nursing.  Elizabeth is the Director of the Hospice Institute at the Hospice of the Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio, the adjunct field instructor at the Mandel School of Applied Sciences, a clinical instructor of biomedical ethics at Case Western Reserve University, a clinical associate in the Breen School of Nursing at Ursuline College, and facilitator of the Safe Conduct Team at the Ireland Cancer Center.  Ms. Pitorak is a founder of the Hospice of the Western Reserve and has served in multiple positions on a voluntary basis for many years before being employed by them.  With over 25 years experience as an educator, Elizabeth has initiated specialized programs in hospice, published manuscripts and chapters, presented and taught nationally and internationally, served as project director for research initiatives, and has been the recipient of many awards.  Her service also extends to numerous professional organizations, both locally and nationally.  She served as President of HPNA in 1999.  She is the current president of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation. 

Throughout this Annual Assembly, the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation will be visible in many different and fun ways, capturing a few dollars here and there that contribute to the many awards, grants and scholarships offered to HPNA membership. 

Over 30 donations of brand watches, vases, necklaces, rings and more valued from $50 to $800 received from jewelry stores across the country will be raffled.  A Key to Your Heart boxes are available on-site.  And back by popular demand, HPNF is again offering massages to participants: $5 for a wonderful 10 minute back and shoulder massage!

For those not interested in bling bling, a memorable case, or a massage…they can assist in the implementation of the HPNF mission by providing a donation entitling them to have their name placed on our Wall of Honor during the Annual Assembly.