The HAP Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization that provides education, advocacy, workforce development, and research around hospice and palliative care for all ages. With four decades rooted in direct patient care, The HAP Foundation focuses on providing guidance to resources, including grief and bereavement support; educating communities and professionals on palliative and hospice care; and advancing policies that assist individuals and families facing serious illness and end-of-life.
A serious illness diagnosis can be filled with many physical and emotional challenges for individuals and their loved ones. The HAP Foundation believes everyone should have access to high-quality services, including palliative and hospice care, which can provide support, dignity, and comfort in the days, weeks, or even years before death, and support through the subsequent grief journey.
The HAP Foundation works to create a more comprehensive understanding of the benefits of and how to access palliative and hospice care. HAP provides guidance for having those difficult conversations around goals of care and complex decision-making and provides direction to resources to support a better end-of-life experience. By working with health systems and community partners, our community education team offers information sessions to patients, healthcare professionals, and families.
As advocates, The HAP Foundation supports local, state, and federal measures such as earlier access to supportive services, reimbursement funding and more that improve the end-of-life experience for patients and their loved ones. The team has built partnerships with community organizations, educators, and faith leaders to expand our reach, especially in underserved communities.
Data-informed decision-making related to palliative and hospice care benefits everyone. The HAP Foundation is committed to conducting research studies and supporting ongoing field exploration around the impact of palliative and hospice care on patients and their families. Findings are used to inform our education and advocacy work.
The HAP Foundation’s workforce development and clinical education programs work together to bring the latest information and best practices to clinical professionals at all levels of experience to best prepare, engage, and retain health care professionals in serious illness care disciplines. HAP’s pilot workforce development programs are structured like apprenticeships and include education, recruitment, and retention programs for critical roles like Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), Registered Nurses (RN), and Community Health Workers (CHW). HAP also works within health systems and schools to empower health care workers as advocates for patients who would benefit from palliative or hospice care, as well as to encourage more health care workers to consider this important specialty.
As members of C-TAC, The HAP Foundation aims to work together to create change as a collective voice on end-of-life care. By collaborating with other states, The HAP Foundation is looking forward to partnering with others who share similar models that produce meaningful results. The HAP Foundation, with the force of C-TAC, is looking to enhance our mission as we continue to improve access to quality end-of-life care together.
