Hospice Advocacy

December 18, 2014

Anyone who has ever met a Silverado Hospice team member can tell you they all have the same predominant trait, a passion for providing exceptional care to their patients. In the past year it seems a new one has surfaced within our teams — a passion for hospice advocacy.

In 2013, Michelle Pickering, VP of Hospice Operations, tasked Silverado Hospice Dallas/Fort Worth Administrator Monica Lewis-McCommas with forming an advocacy committee. With the formation of this committee, Silverado Hospice teams reached out to legislators in three states, championing the preservation of the Medicare hospice benefit and promoting positive legislation on behalf of all hospice patients and providers. This small project became a significant mission over the course of 2013, with team members being recognized by congress members in California, Texas and Utah resulting in support of multiple issues and bills.

Earlier this year, five members of the Silverado advocacy team once again visited Washington D.C. as members of the Hospice Action Network (HAN) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). Silverado associates Lueata Evenson, Becky Lampright, Heather Davis, Monica Lewis-McCommas and Michelle Pickering shared compassionate stories with congress on Capitol Hill. During the event, Silverado was awarded the “2014 Hospice Innovators Award” from the NHPCO and HAN. The HAN stated that their decision was unanimous and board members declared that Silverado Hospice has built the model of advocacy for others to follow.

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