CHPCA® of the Year Award

The Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Administrator of the Year Award presented by the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center recognizes the work of all hospice and palliative care administrators from across the country.

Recipients will receive:

HPCC covers the cost of renewal for the CHPCA® certification
Award with engraving
Travel to an HPNA Annual event (if applicable)

The deadline to apply is June 1, 2025.

Apply

Eligibility

Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Administrator (CHPCA®)
Members of the HPCC board, Examination Development Committees, and Awards Selection Committee are ineligible

Criteria

The individual personifies excellence in clinical practice as a hospice/palliative care administrator
The individual has made contributions to hospice/palliative care administration
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 CHPCA® of the Year Award Recipients

2025 – Joan M. Hanson, MSN, RN, CHPCA®

Joan M. Hanson is a highly respected leader in hospice and palliative care with nearly four decades of experience in nursing and health care management. Currently serving as director of palliative care at Hospice of the Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio, she has made substantial contributions to advancing palliative care practices and certification initiatives within the organization.

From January to July 2024, she served as interim executive director for Hospice of North Central Ohio (HNCO), overseeing the integration of HNCO into Hospice of the Western Reserve. On August 1, 2024, she assumed the role of clinical director for North Central Ohio, managing clinical operations across Ashland, Knox, and Richland counties—a role she will continue through the end of 2024. She has guided the HNCO integration with Hospice of the Western Reserve while maintaining her roles as director of the program, which provides advanced illness management and community-based non-hospice care for patients with chronic conditions, ensuring they receive the appropriate level of care at every stage.

She has presented nationally at conferences on palliative care innovation, community partnerships, and care transitions. Her dedication to advancing the quality of care in hospice and palliative settings has earned her repeated recognitions.

2016 – 2024