About Us
The Washington State Hospice & Palliative Organization (WSHPCO) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization committed to taking a leadership role in improving end-of-life care through education and advocacy efforts.
We are dedicated to promoting and maintaining quality, compassionate care for those facing life-threatening illnesses.
The WSHPCO works to broaden the conversations surrounding quality end-of-life care in general wherever that care is being provided — at home, in nursing homes or inpatient facilities, and we take an important leadership role, working with legislators and governmental agencies to promote hospice as the model of care at the end-of-life in any setting and to improve access to hospice services.
The WSHPCO was incorporated in 1983 and is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors.
Objectives
The Washington State Hospice & Palliative Care Organization strives to promote competency in hospice and palliative care professionals and to advocate for accessible, appropriate end-of-life care.
We do this by:
- Collectively working towards promoting common goals and concerns of hospice and palliative care providers in the State of Washington.
- Educating and informing membership and facilitating the sharing of information among programs.
- Promoting statewide acceptance of hospice and palliative care standards.
- Striving to represent hospice and palliative care programs in the State of Washington in appropriate regional and national organizations.
- Working to influence state and national policies concerning hospice and palliative care issues.
- Establishing reasonable rules and regulations for the Organization.
- Promoting non-discriminatory access to hospice and palliative care for all residents of the State of Washington.
- Supporting research on hospice and palliative care programs and issues.
Board of Directors
2023 Officers
President – Kathy Katzenberger, RN, MN, CHPN
Evergreen Hospice & Palliative Care in Kirkland
Vice President – Stacey Jones, LICSW, ACHP-SW
Providence Hospice of Seattle in Tukwila
Treasurer –Cheryl Medawattage, RN, BSN, BC: Gerontology, CHPN, ACHE, CPMN
Executive Director – Hospice, EvergreenHealth in Kirkland
Secretary – David Brunelle, MD, FAAP
Providence Hospice of Seattle in Tukwila
2023 Board Members
Min An, RN, BSN, ARNP
COO, Kline Galland in Seattle
Anne Anderson, RN, CHPPN
Nurse Coordinator, Palliative Care, Seattle Children’s Hospital in Seattle
Christine Cofer, MD
Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care in University Place
Marie Eaton, PhD
Community Champion, Palliative Care Institute, Western Washington University in Bellingham
Sharmon Figenshaw, ARNP, ACHPN
Co-Chair, Washington POLST Task Force; Consultant, Honoring Choice Pacific Northwest/POLST and Serious Illness Program in Winthrop
Laurie Jackson, MDiv, Masters Certificate in Clinical Ethics, CEO
Chaplaincy Healthcare Hospice in Richland
Pat Justis, MA
Executive Director of the State Office of Rural Health/ Rural Health Section, Office of Community Health Systems, Washington Department of Health
Jodi Newcomer, RN, BSN, CHPN
Whatcom Hospice in Bellingham
Heather Rice, RN
Clinical Director, Horizon Hospice in Spokane
Our Team
Barb Hansen, MA, RN
Executive Director
Meg McCauley
Director, Association Management
Leslie Emerick, MPA
Director of Washington State Public Policy & Outreach