National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Founded in 1978, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is the oldest and largest nonprofit public benefit organization devoted
exclusively to hospice care. NHPCO is dedicated to promoting and maintaining quality care for terminally ill persons and their families, and to making
hospice an integral part of the U.S. health care system

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Elizabeth Edwards Biography Elizabeth Edwards is a fierce advocate for improved and accessible healthcare. A respected expert with a heavy dose of firsthand experience, Mrs. Edwards is rallying for changes to the healthcare system that will improve access, quality and — for those facing the end of life — comfort and dignity. Her personal experience in coping with cancer, caring for aging and ill parents and her professional work in the legal and policy areas have made her a passionate proponent for change. In a statement to NHPCO members, Mrs. Edwards stated: “It is a test of our characters, individually and communally, what we value and honor when facing the end of life. Individually we do well: hospice professionals, who are trained, do extraordinarily well and even those, like me, who stumble through, do as well as can be expected. Communally, particularly as a nation, we do less well. The regulatory limitations on reimbursement for hospice care under Medicare do not reflect our national will that the ends of life — and all our lives will end — be as comfortable and dignified as possible.” Elizabeth Edwards shares her husband’s (Former Senator John Edwards) deep commitment to improving America’s future. A passionate advocate for children and an accomplished attorney, she has been a tireless worker on behalf of important social causes. Mrs. Edwards charmed America with her down-to-earth personality as she campaigned for her husband, then Vice- Presidential candidate John Edwards. Mrs. Edwards is a Senior Fellow with The Center for American Progress, where she works on healthcare issues and writes for the Wonk Room, the Center for American Progress Action Fund’s policy rapid-response blog. She is active in the Wade Edwards Foundation, established in memory of her son, and in a variety of charitable efforts, including fundraising for the March of Dimes benefit. She also serves on several boards, including the UNC Board of Visitors and Books for Kids. She shares her experiences in Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers, an incandescent memoir of her trials, tragedies, and triumphs, and of how various communities celebrated her joys and lent her steady strength and quiet hope in darker times. Affiliation

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