ACHPN® of the Year Award

The Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse of the Year Award presented by the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center recognizes the work of all hospice and palliative advanced practice nurses from across the country.

Recipients will receive:

  • HPCC covers the cost of renewal for the ACHPN® certification
  • Award with engraving 
  • Travel to an HPNA Annual event (if applicable)
Eligibility
  • Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (ACHPN®)
  • Members of the HPCC board, Examination Development Committees, Situational Judgment Exercise Committees, and Awards Selection Committee are ineligible to nominate, be nominated, or support a nomination.
Criteria
  • The individual personifies excellence in the professional practice of advanced practice hospice/palliative nursing
  • The individual has made contributions at the advanced practice level in at least one of the following areas of hospice/palliative care: clinical practice, education, or research
  • The individual provides leadership through mentorship of others in hospice/palliative care
Judging
  • All nominations are reviewed and the recipient is selected by the Awards Selection Committee of HPCC
HPCC ACHPN® of the Year Award Recipients
2025 – Caitlyn Moore, DNP, MS, CRNP, AGACNP-BC, ACHPN®

Caitlyn Moore is an inpatient palliative care nurse practitioner at Jefferson-Abington Hospital in Pennsylvania and an assistant professor of nursing in the Jefferson College of Nursing at Thomas Jefferson University, where she also serves as director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. She is dedicated to advocating for individuals with serious illnesses, particularly those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs).

Her current research is focused on improving palliative care and conversations about serious illness for people with IDDs. In addition to her clinical work and research, she actively mentors nursing students and fellow practitioners, instilling core palliative care principles within nursing education and partnerships. She strives to create an inclusive learning environment that encourages critical thinking about complex care issues. She embraces lifelong learning and is pursuing a PhD in palliative care at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She has authored various articles and textbook chapters and presented locally and nationally on various topics related to palliative care, including improving palliative care for people with IDDs, spiritual care, communication, symptom management, and end-of-life considerations.

2018 – 2024
  • 2024: Julie Findley, ACHPN®
  • 2023: Rachel Mann Sabolish, AGNP-C, ACHPN®
  • 2022: Tracy Shamas, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, ACHPN®
  • 2021: William E. Rosa, PhD, MBE, ACHPN®, FAANP, FAAN
  • 2020: Erin Yvonne Perez, DNP, APRN, ANP-C, AGNP-C, ACHPN®
  • 2019: Erica Frechman, MSN, AGPCNP-BC, ACHPN®
  • 2018: Deborah Medakovich, MSN CNS, ACHPN®