Don Schumacher - President, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization


Dr. Schumacher was integral to NHPCO’s success in securing a $7.4 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a $3.5 million grant from the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.  These funds have allowed NHPCO to double its staff in order to increase global partnership development; facilitated a $100 million capital campaign; fueled the two-year strategic planning process; and bolstered a consumer engagement initiative to improve public awareness and access to hospice and end of life care.

From 1989 until he joined NHPCO in 2002, Dr. Schumacher served as the President and CEO of The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, Buffalo, New York.  During his tenure, he led the development of an integrated hospice campus in the Buffalo, New York area, launching a variety of hospice-related organizations including nursing homes and mental health and pediatric care facilities, as well as a stellar bereavement education program.  Among his other notable professional endeavors, Dr. Schumacher was the President and Founder of The Hospice of Mission Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, which was established as one of the first HIV/AIDS hospices in the U.S.

A globally recognized authority on hospice and palliative care, Dr. Schumacher has been active throughout his career as a member and officer of various industry organizations.  He has also served as an expert, strategic planning consultant to individual hospice and palliative care programs and state associations throughout the U.S.  An active public speaker, Dr. Schumacher has presented domestically and internationally on topics such as strategic planning for hospices, palliative care policy development, and clinical guidelines for HIV.

Dr. Schumacher is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York and Massachusetts and holds a doctorate degree in psychology from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, Boston, Massachusetts.  In 2005, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he earned his M.S. degree in counseling psychology.

Kavin Cartmell - Executive Director, Hospice of Hope
 
Kavin Cartmell has a long-standing interest and commitment to the hospice mission and to the promotion of the concept of end-of-life care. During her seventeen years in the industry, she has promoted hospice not only on the local level, but also on state and national levels.

As Executive Director of Hospice of Hope in Maysville, Kavin has guided Hospice of Hope in becoming recognized as one of the most progressive rural hospices in the United States.  Her knowledge of the resources and operations of hospice allow her to serve as a valuable contact for others. She facilitated the construction of a new Kentucky administrative office in 2000, a new Ohio administrative office in 2006, and a Hospice of Hope Inpatient Center in 2007.

In an ongoing commitment to improve hospice care, Kavin serves on the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization’s Board of Directors, the NHPCO Standards Committee, and the Kentucky Association of Hospice & Palliative Care Organization’s Quality Committee.  She is also a member of the Home Care Professional Advisory Committee for The Joint Commission.

Since 1994, she has been certified as a hospice and palliative care nurse, which strives to advance individual, organizational, and community excellence worldwide through learning, quality improvement, and knowledge exchange.  Kavin is the recipient of the 2006 Kentucky Association of Hospice & Palliative Care Leadership Award and the KCTCS 2004 Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Kavin is involved with numerous civic organizations and continuously promotes volunteer service in her community.  “I have learned after thirty years as a healthcare professional, that the gift of service is really what nurtures your soul.”

Kavin resides in Maysville, Kentucky, and is married to Holton Cartmell. They have one son, Clay, a junior at Mason County High School.  “My family is my inspiration.  They have given me the support, love, and time that enabled me to live up to my best self.  They have encouraged me to confront the many challenges and realize the even greater number of opportunities the world offers.”

Ken Ross - Co-Author, Tea with Elisabeth

Ken Ross is the co-author of Tea With Elisabeth, a collection of 51 essays celebrating the life of his mother, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Ken is independent commercial photographer who specializes in travel/location photography. Educated in the U.S. and Switzerland, Ross began his photography career while residing in Sydney, Australia in 1985. His work has taken him to more than 80 countries thus far.

He has exhibited in Phoenix, New York, Japan and Mexico, where he had his first single artist exhibit at the Art Museum of Monterey. His photos have appeared in numerous books published in the US and Europe. In 2002, Ken and his mother also collaborated on Real Taste of Life, a journal featuring Ken's travel photography and Elisabeth's quotes.

He is currently speaking nationwide on his life with his mother, the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Foundation and his amazing travel adventures. Ken hopes to eventually photograph 101 countries in the spirit of his mother's teachings about living a full life.

 

 

 

Malene Davis is President and CEO of Capital Hospice, one of the first, largest and most experienced providers of hospice and palliative care services in the United States. A nonprofit organization, Capital Hospice served more than 5,000 patients in 2008 out of six regional office locations in metropolitan Washington, DC.

Prior to Capital Hospice, Ms. Davis was President and CEO of Hospice Care Corporation in Arthurdale, West Virginia. She began with Hospice Care as the first paid employee, then developed it into the largest hospice corporation in West Virginia, now serving 12 counties in north central West Virginia and four counties in Western Pennsylvania.

Recognized for her work in advancing the hospice philosophy in West Virginia and surrounding areas, Ms. Davis is a nationally respected expert, presenter and resource in hospice and palliative care. She currently serves on the board of the American Pain Foundation, and has just completed her term as Chairperson of the Board at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. She has also served on boards with The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation West Virginia Initiative to Improve End of Life Care, Preston County (WV) Board of Health, and other community organizations.

Recent awards include the first Hospice and Palliative Care Nurses Foundation Project on Death in America Nursing Leadership Award in Palliative Care in 2006, the Matthew F. McNulty, Jr. 2007 Award, given by the Healthcare Council of the National Capital Area to honor outstanding healthcare leaders, BB&T Banks' Community Improvement 2007 Award, and the Blue Cross/CareFirst Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Care 2007 award.

Malene completed her nursing degree (RN) at West Virginia University in Morgantown. She holds a Masters Degree in both Business Administration (MBA) and Nursing (MSN) from West Virginia University.