National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care

National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care
Name	National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care
Abbreviation	NCHPC
Formation	1997
Type	Coalition
Location	United States
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Services	Policy coordination, standards development, advocacy

National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care is a United States-based coalition formed to coordinate standards, policy, and advocacy among leading hospice and palliative care organizations. The coalition brings together associations, foundations, academic centers, and provider networks to influence health policy and clinical practice through consensus standards and joint initiatives. Member organizations and partners include professional societies, patient advocacy groups, and federal stakeholders that intersect with Medicare, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and other health institutions.

History

The coalition was founded in the late 20th century amid growing attention to end-of-life care driven by debates in the United States Congress and policy development at the Department of Health and Human Services, paralleling work by groups such as the American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, National Institutes of Health, and academic centers like Johns Hopkins University and University of California, San Francisco. Early collaborators included national organizations such as the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and advocacy entities like the AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The coalition’s formation coincided with milestones such as revisions to Medicare Hospice Benefit policy and initiatives from the Institute of Medicine that highlighted standards in end-of-life care. Over time the coalition has engaged with regulatory bodies including the Joint Commission, the National Quality Forum, and congressional committees addressing healthcare reform.

Mission and Objectives

The coalition’s mission emphasizes development of consensus-based standards, promotion of quality metrics, and alignment of clinical practice with ethical frameworks promoted by institutions like the American Medical Association and Hastings Center. Objectives include convening stakeholders from professional societies such as the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Society of Hospital Medicine, coordinating with funders like the Kaiser Family Foundation and The Commonwealth Fund, and informing policymakers in the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It seeks to harmonize guidelines used by accrediting organizations such as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and advisory panels linked to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs have included collaborative guideline development projects with academic partners including Harvard Medical School and Columbia University, quality measurement initiatives tied to National Quality Forum endorsement, and educational campaigns engaging professional societies like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Geriatrics Society. Initiatives also addressed workforce development in association with institutions such as the Association of American Medical Colleges and continuing education providers like the American Board of Internal Medicine. The coalition has produced consensus documents used by hospitals, hospice providers, and long-term care organizations, and has convened symposia involving entities such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and philanthropic agencies like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Policy and Advocacy

Advocacy efforts have targeted legislation and regulation involving Medicare, Veterans Health Administration, and state-level health departments, coordinating testimony before congressional committees and collaborating with coalitions such as the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care-adjacent networks of professional societies. The coalition has partnered with legal and policy institutions including the American Bar Association on advance-care planning and with federal advisory committees associated with the Office of the Surgeon General. It has weighed in on rulemaking at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and participated in stakeholder dialogues with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the White House Domestic Policy Council, and state capitols addressing reimbursement, workforce, and quality measurement.

Organizational Structure and Membership

The coalition’s governance model typically comprises a steering committee drawn from member organizations such as the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, and specialty societies like the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Membership spans national NGOs including the AARP, foundations like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, academic centers including Duke University School of Medicine and Mount Sinai Health System, and provider networks from across the United States. The group collaborates with accreditation bodies such as the Joint Commission and research funders including the National Institutes of Health and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

Impact and Recognition

The coalition’s consensus standards and policy positions have influenced clinical practice guidelines promulgated by organizations such as the American Medical Association and the American Geriatrics Society, quality measures endorsed by the National Quality Forum, and reimbursement policy changes at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Its work has been cited in reports from the Institute of Medicine and in guidance used by hospitals, hospices, and academic programs at institutions like Yale School of Medicine and Stanford Medicine. The coalition has received recognition from stakeholder organizations including professional societies and philanthropic funders for contributions to improving end-of-life care and informing national policy debates involving the United States Congress and federal agencies.

Category:Hospice and palliative care organizations Category:Health policy organizations in the United States