NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2021 - 5

Message from Edo
Welcome to September. This is a rather interesting
time for all of us. About this time last year, we were
hosting our 2020 Interdisciplinary Conference virtually,
the first time we had produced an event of such
magnitude over the Internet. It was a challenge to be
sure, but we certainly learned a great deal. None of us
at NHPCO expected that we would be doing the 2021
Interdisciplinary Conference as a virtual event as well.
Only a few months ago, we were looking forward to
gathering in Memphis for the conference-a
conference that from the get-go we planned with
safety as a priority-but the situation changed.
We are all disappointed. Being together is one of the
advantages of joining an association. We get it. Our
buckets are refilled by being with people who
understand what we are going through. But safety
first. NHPCO is many things-an association of
hospice and palliative care providers, an advocate for
providers, patients and families.... However, we are
also responsible for public health. This means that
two of our toughest decisions-whether to move our
in-person meeting to a virtual meeting and whether to
support a vaccine mandate-were no-brainers from
the perspective of an organization that must consider
public health and the public good first. That said, I get
it. This is hard, and we are right there with you.
If that were the only crisis facing us. In the past few
months communities throughout the nation have
been facing unrelenting forest fires, the hurricane
season and resulting flooding has proven to be
damaging and costly in many states. Add to this,
Afghanistan and the 20th anniversary of September
11. Nobody who was more than ten by September 11,
2001, will forget where they were on that fateful day,
nor of the way we as a nation seem to have changed
as a result of this event. And the ending of America's
longest lasting war that began due to the events of
September 11 has left us struggling for answers after
two decades.
I haven't even mentioned the workforce challenges
that so many healthcare providers are struggling with,
and hospice and palliative care providers are coping
with a problem that seems short on solutions.
This is a difficult time, to be sure. Well, one thing that
continues to inspire me is the sense of duty, resilience,
and compassion that seems to be part of the DNA of
our provider community. Please know that all of us at
NHPCO recognize the difficulties that you face in the
field. In fact, we're hosting a listening session as part
of the 2021 Interdisciplinary Conference, and it is our
hope that this will get some valuable discussion about
ways to assist you.
Until I see you in person, I will see you on zoom. Here's
hoping that our community, and our nation, comes
out of this crisis stronger and more
determine to do whatever we can to
lead person-centered care.
Onward -
Edo Banach, JD,
President and CEO
https://www.nhpco.org/2021idc/
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2021

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