The National Center for Care at the End of Life Will be Home to the New Mary J. Labyak Institute for Innovation

Institute Will Focus on Making a Powerful Difference in End-of-Life Care through Education, Leadership, and Outreach

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of its mission to lead and mobilize social change for improved care at the end of life, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) has announced the creation of the Mary J. Labyak Institute for Innovation.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110105/DC25260LOGO)

The Institute, which is named after the late hospice pioneer, Mary J. Labyak, is designed to continue her legacy of listening, learning and innovating.

Labyak, who passed away in February 2012, was one of the most widely recognized innovators working on behalf of hospice and palliative care in the U.S. The Institute bearing her name will continue her work by developing and promoting new strategies to ensure the best possible care for patients and families—and by always keeping the needs of patients and families at the center of hospice care.

"More than 40 years ago, innovators such as Mary took the core of an idea and built the foundation upon which today's hospice and palliative care providers serve millions of patients and families each year," said J. Donald Schumacher, president and CEO of NHPCO. "With the creation of this Institute, we take a giant step forward in ensuring that the innovation that changed the health care landscape so many years ago continues to improve the quality of health care delivered today."

The Institute is a part of the National Center for Care at the End of Life which also houses NHPCO and three affiliate organizations.

The Institute is comprised of 10 Centers that will work collaboratively to advance the care continuum through education, leadership, and resource dissemination. Each Center will determine gaps in practice, identify resources, and develop and disseminate tools to deliver the best possible care to patients and families. The 10 Centers are:

• Children's Hospice and Palliative Care
• Clinical Excellence
• Consumer and Caregiver Engagement
• Ethical Practice
• Expanding the Continuum
• Grief and Bereavement
• Leadership Development
• Organizational Excellence
• Spiritual Care
• Veterans' Care

The Institute was started with seed funding from Mary Labyak's estate and memorial gifts in her honor, as well as an investment by NHPCO. The National Hospice Foundation, the philanthropic affiliate of NHPCO, is seeking additional support for the Institute and its work.

For more information on the Mary J. Labyak Institute for Innovation, visit nhpco.org/Innovation or contact Executive Director Kathy Brandt, at [email protected] or 703-837-3125.

Media Contact:
Jon Radulovic
703-837-3139
[email protected]

SOURCE National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization