HPNA Mourns Loss of Founding Member

The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) mourns the loss of founding member Madalon O’Rawe Amenta, RN, MN, PhD. Dr. Amenta was inspired to join the hospice movement in the 1970s after having read Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ On Death and Dying. “Dr. Amenta’s unwavering dedication to hospice and palliative care inspired generations of nurses,” said HPNA President Masako Mayahara, PhD, RN, FAAN, CHPN®, FPCN®. “We are grateful for her leadership, which allowed us to grow our community to nearly 8,000 hospice and palliative care professionals. Her legacy will be honored through our mission to advance nursing expertise in hospice and palliative care through education, advocacy, leadership, and research.”

Dr. Amenta served on the hospice planning committee at Pittsburgh Hospital and eventually became director of education and research at Forbes Hospice. This, in turn, led to founding the Pennsylvania Hospice Network and serving two terms as its first president.

In 1986, Dr. Amenta assisted in founding the Hospice Nurses Association, now HPNA. She served as the first executive director from 1993 to 1997. Her illustrious career included being a researcher, author, editor, academic educator, and mentor. She received numerous honors in recognition of her work, including HPNA’s 2005 Leading the Way Award.

“HPNA has lost a brilliant and visionary leader,” said Judy Lentz, MSN, FPCN®. “Just saying the name Madalon Amenta opens the floodgate of memories this brilliant, visionary leader created. As a fellow Pittsburgher, nursing colleague, and predecessor to the role as executive director of this wonderful organization, which she established along with several others nearly 40 years ago, I am saddened by her loss but in total awe of the footprint she left behind.”

The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation has created a tribute page in Dr. Amenta’s honor, available here.