We Honor Veterans, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), invites hospices, state hospice organizations, Hospice-Veteran Partnerships and VA facilities to join a pioneering program focused on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening and grateful acknowledgment. By recognizing the unique needs of America’s Veterans and their families, community providers, in partnership with VA staff, will learn how to accompany and guide them through their life stories toward a more peaceful ending.
We Honor Veterans provides educational tools and resources in advancing these goals:
- Promote Veteran-centric educational activities
- Increase organizational capacity to serve Veterans
- Support development of strategic partnerships
- Increase access and improve quality
We Honor Veterans also provides tiered recognition to organizations, known as Partners, that demonstrate a systematic commitment to improving care for veterans. There are five levels that partners can achieve in the program. Partner organizations assess their ability to serve veterans and, using resources provided as part of the program, integrate best practices for providing end-of-life care to veterans into their organization.
The We Honor Veterans program is provided at no cost to hospice organizations and you do not need to be a current member of NHPCO to become or remain a Level 1-4 partner in the program. The goal of the program is simple – to care for and honor those who have served when they reach the end of life. By working through the partner levels and participating in community partnerships and collaborations, partner organizations are able to educate, engage, and expand awareness to Veterans and their families. A vast majority of Veterans are not enrolled in VA and may not be aware of end-of-life services and benefits available to them, including the Medicare Hospice Benefit and VA-paid hospice care.
To help sustain this program, community-based health care organizations such as skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and funeral homes have collaborated with NHPCO to become WHV Community Partners. The program activities of Community Partners were designed to mirror those of hospice organization requirements and partners are expected to go through the same amount of training and activities. Through the program, Community Partners hope to serve all Veterans with respect, integrity and dignity no matter the service provider they choose. To learn more about becoming a Community Partner, please contact veterans@nhpco.org.
As they achieve each level, organizations will have the ability to promote their increasing commitment to Veterans by displaying the We Honor Veterans affiliation in their facilities, on their websites, in printed community outreach and educational materials and through social media outlets. This allows community members, including Veterans to easily identify organizations that have made a commitment to offer Veteran-specific care and services provided by a competent and highly skilled workforce.
About NHPCO
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is the nation’s largest membership organization for providers and professionals who care for people affected by serious and life-limiting illness. Its broad community of members includes local hospice and palliative care providers, networks serving large regions of the United States, and individual professionals.
Based in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, NHPCO represents the interests of its members and the general public with legislative advocacy that helps to enhance and expand access to care that addresses holistic health and the well-being of communities. With a staff of experts available to personally guide members through nearly every consideration or business challenge—NHPCO’s team is always there with timely and pragmatic support.
NHPCO gives ongoing inspiration, practical guidance, and legislative representation to hospice and palliative care providers so they can enrich experiences for patients and ease caregiving responsibilities and emotional stress for families. By providing its members with the essential tools they need to stay current with leading practices, understand policy changes, and improve their quality of care, NHPCO addresses the challenges that providers navigate on a daily basis and offers a wealth of expert knowledge and step-by-step solutions to fill the gaps.
