Hospice & Palliative Care Association of Arkansas

Hospice & Palliative Care Association of Arkansas Our mission is to promote awareness of and access to high quality hospice and palliative care in AR. To promote hospice care in Arkansas. hpcaa.org

The Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Arkansas (HPCAA) is a statewide, public benefit, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to ensuring access to high quality hospice and comfort care for all Arkansans. Our mission is to promote awareness of and access to high quality hospice and palliative care. We represent our member hospice and palliative care providers on advocacy issues and support their efforts to serve as an integral component of the health care system of Arkansas. Join HPCAA and become a part of...

-the hospice communication network
-current information on regulatory issues
-updates on reimbursement
-quality initiative partnerships
-the growing palliative care arena
-legislative activity; local, state and national
-connections to NHPCO and state hospice organizations
-coalitions to improve care at the end of life
-education opportunities

THE HPCAA PURPOSES

Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Arkansas promotes quality end-of-life care and serves its members in their public service goals. HPCAA serves the following purposes in meeting our larger mission:

To be a common voice for HPCAA members in issues surrounding end-of-life care. To be a catalyst for improving end-of-life care in Arkansas. To represent its members on hospice and end-of-life care matters in state federal policy-making. To be a focal point in Arkansas for communications with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. To provide educational opportunities for its members and the community on end-of-life care issues. To encourage recognition of hospice volunteers throughout Arkansas. To serve as a communication conduit among HPCAA members. To promote high standards for hospice care in Arkansas. To uphold the highest ethical standards among its members.

Providing ethically-based healthcare services is essential to being a high-quality healthcare provider. So an ethics con...
09/09/2025

Providing ethically-based healthcare services is essential to being a high-quality healthcare provider. So an ethics conversation is a must for the conference! Dr. Brandy Fox will lead us as we consider the ethical implications regarding sexuality in persons with dementia.

Brandy M. Fox, PhD, MS, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Humanities and Bioethics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She received her PhD in Health Care Ethics from Saint Louis University and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Stanford University supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute’s Ethical Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) Program. Dr. Fox’s scholarly interests include qualitative research, end of life care, and psychiatric ethics.

We are only TWO weeks away from our annual conference! So, let's get to know a few more of our speakers. Greg Adams, LCS...
09/08/2025

We are only TWO weeks away from our annual conference! So, let's get to know a few more of our speakers.

Greg Adams, LCSW, ACSW, FT is Program Coordinator for the Center for Good Mourning and Staff Bereavement Support at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH). Greg has worked at ACH in a variety of roles and areas, including pediatric oncology and palliative care, since 1991. He is an adjunct professor with the University of Arkansas-Little Rock and has been an active volunteer with community and professional organizations, including the Little Rock School District. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024 for the National Association of Social Workers-Arkansas Chapter. He is also author of Adam Gets Back in the Game, a children’s storybook about coping with grief and loss.

In Greg's presentation, we will explore storytelling in medicine. Everyone has a story as we make sense of our lives through stories. Our patients, their families, ourselves, our teams, and our cultures each have their own stories, and frequently a serious illness is a threat to our stories as well as an invitation for story revisions. Too often, however, we miss the stories, and in doing so, we miss opportunities to better understand and support our patients and families and to see where their stories and ours have areas of common ground and points of conflict. In this presentation, we will pause and reflect on storytelling and how greater awareness and understanding of stories can support our patients and our work.

HPCAA is pleased to announce the Heart Award recipients for 2025. This prestigious award honors Arkansans in the hospice...
09/05/2025

HPCAA is pleased to announce the Heart Award recipients for 2025. This prestigious award honors Arkansans in the hospice and palliative care industries that go above and beyond to enhance the quality of life for patients, families, and/or their team.

Everyone who was nominated is truly extraordinary in the work that they do. Similar to a "Best of the Best" award, these recipients were chosen as best in their category (Hospice, Palliative Care, Hospice CNA, and Volunteer) by judges who spent weeks poring over all of the nominations.

2025 HPCAA Heart Award recipients - CONGRATULATIONS 🎉 and thank you for all that you do! We look forward to honoring you with a special ceremony and luncheon in a few weeks at our annual conference. See you soon!

The conference lineup just keeps impressing! 💥Caren McHenry Martin, PharmD, BCGP is a board-certified geriatric pharmaci...
08/22/2025

The conference lineup just keeps impressing! 💥

Caren McHenry Martin, PharmD, BCGP is a board-certified geriatric pharmacist with experience in a wide range of nonconventional clinical roles, including pharmacy association management, senior care, pharmacy benefits management, ambulatory care, value-based care, and hospice. As a senior clinical manager at Enclara Pharmacia, the nation’s largest hospice pharmacy benefit manager solutions provider, she helps hospice teams monitor their pharmacy utilization and develop initiatives to improve quality and manage costs. Dr. Martin is a frequent presenter at state and national conferences and has authored more than a hundred articles for national pharmacy publications.

Dr. Martin will be presenting on two relevant, clinical topics at the HPCAA Hospice and Palliative Care Conference next month. Physicians, PAs, APRNs, and nurses - check these sessions out!

Antibiotics in Hospice: To Treat or Not To Treat
Decisions about starting or stopping antibiotics are complicated for patients at end of life. In this discussion, we will discuss risk factors for infection, ethical issues related to antibiotic use, treatment approaches based on clinical practice guidelines, and antibiotic utilization strategies for best practices in hospice.

Buprenorphine Basics
Buprenorphine is increasingly being used in hospice and palliative care for pain management. In this session, you’ll learn about the unique pharmacology of buprenorphine, available dosage forms, dosing, and cost considerations for patients in hospice and palliative care.

Next in our all-star lineup of conference speakers is Amy Langston. 🌟 Healthcare leaders - get ready for this gal! She's...
08/21/2025

Next in our all-star lineup of conference speakers is Amy Langston. 🌟 Healthcare leaders - get ready for this gal! She's bright, she's energetic, and she's going to stretch you a bit! Quite literally, chair yoga may be involved! 😆🧘‍♀️

Amy is the Founder of RGB Wellness where she helps growth-minded organizations reduce burnout, strengthen team trust, and embed mindful leadership into their culture. She bridges business intelligence with whole-person well-being—offering consulting, coaching, and workshops that combine strategic insight with sustainable wellness. With over two decades of cross-industry experience—including 18+ years in recruiting and people operations—Amy has led teams through thousands of onboarding cycles and guided leaders through rapid growth and change.

She is a certified practitioner of The Five Behaviors™ model and a daily user of DISC and EOS® tools, helping teams align on goals, clarify roles, and deliver real results. Her workshops integrate brain-based wellness, accessible yoga, and trauma-aware leadership strategies to foster trust, retention, and long-term resilience.

At this conference, Amy will lead two leadership sessions focused on mindful leadership, building team resilience, and burnout recovery, drawing from both business frameworks and holistic healing practices.

High-stakes healthcare environments demand more than technical excellence—they require deep trust, clarity, and connection. In her first session, we’ll explore The Five Behaviors of a Dysfunctional Team framework—Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, and Results—and how they apply to the emotional and operational demands of hospice and palliative care. Participants will engage in reflective dialogue, practical exercises, and gentle chair-based movement and breathwork to experience firsthand how mindful leadership and team resilience are built from the inside out. We'll also introduce foundational insights from DISC personality styles and the EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) to enhance communication, foster psychological safety, and reduce burnout across interdisciplinary teams.

In the emotionally demanding world of hospice and palliative care, leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about service, clarity, and courageous accountability. Our second session with Amy introduces the concept of Service Leadership, where leading from within fosters alignment, compassion, and sustainable performance. Together, we’ll explore how accountability, often misinterpreted as punitive, can actually be an act of service—when rooted in clear expectations, values alignment, and self-awareness. Using the EOS model’s accountability chart, real-life scenarios, and DISC insights, we’ll map practical ways leaders at all levels can inspire ownership, reduce friction, and rekindle team connection.

We are thrilled that Dr. Christopher Kerr will be opening our conference this year. He is the Chief Medical Officer and ...
08/18/2025

We are thrilled that Dr. Christopher Kerr will be opening our conference this year. He is the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Executive Officer at Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo. He has a rich background in medicine, having earned his MD and PhD in Neurobiology, and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Rochester. Dr. Kerr's research focuses on end-of-life experiences and their impact on patients and caregivers, as well as psychosocial interventions to improve the quality of life for the hospice and palliative care population. His work has been recognized nationally and internationally, with his TEDx Talk reaching over 4.6 million views. Dr. Kerr is also the author of "Death is But a Dream". He is committed to improving the quality of hospice care and has developed one of the nation's largest home-based palliative care programs.

In his lecture Dr. Kerr will share how experiences at the end of life, including dreams and visions, testify to our greatest needs: to love and be loved, to be nurtured and feel connected, to be remembered, and forgiven. Although medically ignored, such experiences are near universal experiences, and often provide comfort and meaning. To date, the research team at Hospice Buffalo has published multiple studies on this topic and documented over 1,500 end-of-life events, many of which are videotaped.
The lecture will focus on published research that describes and validates patients dreams and visions at the end of life. Dr. Kerr will explore how these near universal experiences often provide comfort and meaning as well as insight into the life led.

From collaboration, connection, and continuing education to tools that support your team and strengthen your program —he...
08/07/2025

From collaboration, connection, and continuing education to tools that support your team and strengthen your program —here’s why you should join us this September.

The power of collaboration across disciplines is critical to delivering high-quality, equitable care to people living with serious and life-limiting illness.

As the premier event for hospice and palliative care professionals in Arkansas, the Hospice and Palliative Care Conference offers a paramount opportunity for collaboration, education, and innovation. With health care facing rapid change and volatility, gathering in person with state leaders and colleagues is essential for those committed to delivering high-quality hospice and palliative care.

The Hospice and Palliative Care Conference is intentionally interprofessional, because we know hospice and palliative care is strongest when everyone’s expertise is part of the equation. This conference brings together physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and health system leaders to learn from each other, challenge assumptions, and find new ways to collaborate for impact.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re new in the industry or have years of experience behind you—if you're focused on delivering care to patients living with serious or life-limiting illness, you won't want to miss this event!

You’ve dedicated your career to improving the lives of others—and you know that true impact comes from constantly evolving, learning, and leading with purpose. The challenges in hospice and palliative care are complex, but you also see the possibilities. Surrounded by fellow clinicians and leaders who share your commitment, you’ll gain fresh perspectives, practical tools, and the inspiration to elevate your work and drive meaningful change by putting them into practice when you return home.

The Hospice and Palliative Care Conference isn’t just about sessions and credits (though you’ll find those too, including CME credit). It’s about coming together to improve care for people living with a serious and life-limiting illnesses — and doing it in a way that supports the well-being and growth of those providing it.

https://www.hpcaa.org/education

✨Member Spotlight✨Hospice of the Hills is dedicated to  compassionate end-of-life care. Their mission is to offer sensit...
07/28/2025

✨Member Spotlight✨
Hospice of the Hills is dedicated to compassionate end-of-life care. Their mission is to offer sensitive support, enabling patients to live alert, pain-free lives and manage symptoms for a dignified, quality end-of-life experience. Located in Harrison, Hospice of the Hills serves Boone, Carrol, Madison, Marion, Newton, and Searcy counties. Visit their website to learn more about their program and services - https://www.narmc.com/locations/hospice-of-the-hills

Registration is OPEN for the 2025 Hospice and Palliative Care Conference! Join us on September 22-23, 2025 at the Benton...
07/15/2025

Registration is OPEN for the 2025 Hospice and Palliative Care Conference! Join us on September 22-23, 2025 at the Benton Event Center for two days of learning and FUN!

From physicians to family caregivers, each team member holds a unique perspective that impacts the patient's care experience. Looking through a different lens and understanding different points of view is essential in creating an optimal care experience and providing the highest quality care to those facing serious illness.

Visit www.hpcaa.org/education to learn more and get registered! Early bird pricing ends on August 15th.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the HPCAA membership, we wish our Executive Director, Blair Presley, LCSW, a ver...
07/01/2025

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the HPCAA membership, we wish our Executive Director, Blair Presley, LCSW, a very special and happy birthday today. 😊 We appreciate you.

✨Member Spotlight✨There's more to treating an illness than finding a cure. The UAMS palliative care program focuses on t...
06/25/2025

✨Member Spotlight✨
There's more to treating an illness than finding a cure. The UAMS palliative care program focuses on the whole person: body, mind and spirit, offering care at any stage of your illness. UAMS palliative care aims to prevent or treat, as early as possible, the symptoms and side effects of the disease and its treatment, in addition to any related psychological, social, and spiritual problems. To learn more visit www.uamshealth.com.
UAMS Palliative Medicine

To all of the nursing assistants around the state, we recognize you and we thank you! The compassionate work you do is s...
06/17/2025

To all of the nursing assistants around the state, we recognize you and we thank you! The compassionate work you do is so important and truly makes a difference!

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Little Rock, AR
72223

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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+15013751300

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