In this deeply personal and resonant episode, longtime hospice nurse and podcast host of The Heart of Hospice, Helen Bauer, BSN RN CHPN®, shares an intimate look at the soul of hospice nursing — the part that’s rarely documented but always deeply felt. With more than seven years behind the mic and a career alongside patients and families at the bedside, Helen reflects on the intimacy and intensity of hospice care, and the challenges of translating those sacred moments into clinical notes and checkboxes. 

Together, we explore the personhood-centered mindset that defines exceptional hospice nursing: arriving as a blank slate, open and eager to learn who the patient is, then crafting care that honors the individual’s story, values, and needs. Helen speaks candidly about the emotional toll of the work, the cumulative grief nurses carry, and the resilience it takes to keep showing up — not just for patients, but for ourselves. 

Listeners will hear reflections on: 

This episode is a tribute to hospice nurses everywhere — a reminder that your work matters, your presence is powerful, and you are just as important as the care you provide. 

Whether you're a hospice nurse, a health care professional, or a family member navigating end-of-life care, this episode will speak to the heart of what it means to accompany someone at life’s end — with compassion, courage, and creativity. 

Helen Bauer, BSN RN CHPN® 

As the founder of Hospice Navigation Services, Helen provides unbiased, expert guidance and support for individuals and families navigating the complexities of hospice and serious illness. Her work as an End of Life Educator and Advocate focuses on empowering caregivers and hospice workers, ensuring that those facing serious illness experience the best possible care at the end of life. Known for her compassion, empathy, and respect, she remains a trusted resource in the field of hospice care. 

Brett Snodgrass, DNP, FNP-C, ACHPN®, FAANP

In this episode, we explore the profound impact of Kelli Anspach MSN, CV-BC, NPD-BC, CHPN®'s thriving and sustainable training program, which has successfully trained more than 1,000 hospital nurses over the past 10 years through the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) program, founded by Betty Ferrell PhD, MSN, CHPN®. By providing nurses with the essential skills and knowledge to lead compassionate palliative care conversations, this initiative empowers staff to facilitate critical "goals of care" discussions with patients and families. In this episode, Kelli and Brett discuss how this training not only enhances collaboration with palliative care teams but also drives improved patient satisfaction and better overall care outcomes.

Additionally, the conversation takes a closer look at the return on investment (ROI) for hospitals and demonstrates how training nurses across all service lines is a cost-effective strategy to elevate patient care, boost nurse confidence, and foster a more supportive health care environment. With the right education, staff can empower frontline nurses across various serious illness service lines to make a lasting, positive impact on patient care.

HPNA is proud to partner with Betty Ferrell and City of Hope to offer virtual ELNEC Train-the-Trainer courses twice per year. Visit the HPNA website for more information on upcoming courses and to learn how you can make a difference at the system level in your own health care organization.

Kelli Maher Anspach, MSN, CV-BC, NPD-BC, CHPN®

Kelli has her BSN and MSN from Drexel University. She holds multiple certifications: Cardiac Vascular Certified Nurse, Nursing Professional Development Specialist, Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse. Kelli has her ONS chemotherapy administration certification, is a certified Aromatherapy provider, and a Level 2 Reiki practitioner.

Kelli has planned, presented, hosted, and facilitated many conferences from Women and Heart Disease to Nursing Research to Integrative Therapies but the most rewarding was her work with End of Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC).

Kelli implemented ELNEC across a five-hospital health system from 2013-2018.  This included securing grant money for the project and educating more than 900 staff in end-of-life patient care. Kelli was the Winner of International ELNEC Award for excellence in education, has as presented at local and national conferences, and is published in her field. 

Kelli continues to be a strong advocate for palliative care and started a palliative care champion model for nurses in her health system to support identified knowledge and practice gaps.

Kelli is a Nurse Residency Facilitator where she helps to support and mentor new graduate nurses in their transition to their first year as a professional nurse and lectures for the program on End-of-Life Nursing and Self Care. She teaches classes in oncology, telemetry nursing, and preceptor development for her health system.

Kelli is a mother of three, loves to dance and hike, and enjoys her day-to-day role as a Clinical Nurse Educator at Lankenau Medical Center, part of Main Line Health System.

Brett Snodgrass, DNP, FNP-C, ACHPN®, FAANP

Join us for an insightful episode featuring seasoned Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Meggan Mikal-DeMont DNP, APRN-FPA, PCNS-BC, CPNP-PC, CHPPN ®, FPCN® with more than10 years of experience in palliative care and pain management. In this whole-hearted interview, she reflects on her husband’s nine-month experience with Stage IV colorectal cancer and offers an insider’s perspective as both a palliative care clinician and caregiver- how as a couple they navigated the miracle they were hoping for within the system, how these experiences have transformed Meggan's clinical practice, and how life has unfolded since then. Listen for what the health care teams did well, areas where they could improve, and how administrators can champion hospice and palliative care services to make end of life easier for patients and their families.  

Meggan Mikal DNP, APRN-FPA, PCNS-BC, CPNP-PC, CHPPN®, FPCN®
Meggan Mikal-DeMont is the nurse practitioner of Pediatric Advance Care Team - Palliative & Pain at Advocate Children’s Hospitals in Oak Lawn, IL. 

Pursuing her interest in working with families that have children living with complex and series illnesses, Meggan has completed a fellowship in pediatric neurodevelopmental disabilities through the Illinois Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program. She also has completed a fellowship in pediatric palliative and hospice nursing through University of Illinois in Chicago and through the Coleman Foundation. This led her to also become a board-certified pediatric hospice and palliative nurse in 2009. 

Meggan, along with an interdisciplinary committee, started the Pediatric Palliative and Supportive Care program at Advocate Children’s Hospital - Oak Lawn in October of 2012.  Her background as a pediatric intensive care nurse is where her love and passion for working with children with critical and chronic illness grew.  She is an End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) trainer and received that training at St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, TN. 

Meggan is an active member of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) where she serves on the Advocacy and Legislative Committee. She participated as both an item writer and chair for the pediatric hospice and palliative nurse exam from 2010-2016. Meggan was also recently inducted as a Fellow of Palliative and Hospice Nursing (FPCN®) and is so thrilled to be recognized for her true passion and purpose to this field.  

Becoming a widow and a solo parent in 2017 after her husband Andrew died from advanced colorectal cancer has only grown her passion for delivering and advocating for nothing short of the best delivery of palliative and hospice care. Meggan is blessed to be given a new chapter and now lives with her husband Nate, eight year old son Andy, bonus seven year old daughter Elizabeth, and two and a half year old rescue dog Zoey, in Plainfield.  

Within palliative care, Meggan has a strong interest in the areas of patient-provider boundaries, patient and family advocacy, and the delivery of diverse, equitable, and inclusive care.  

Meggan believes that caring for children with serious illnesses truly starts at the grassroots of relationships. She believes that the family is the center of the care being provided and it is a relationship built on partnership. Helping children live life to their fullest ability without burdensome symptoms is something that she strives to achieve each day. 

Brett Snodgrass, DNP, FNP-C, ACHPN®, FAANP

In this episode, we hear from nurses and nurse practitioners who attended the 2025 Annual Assembly of Hospice & Palliative Care. Whether it’s their first time attending or they attend this conference year after year, they share what brings them to the event, what inspires them, and the key takeaways they plan to bring back to their clinical practice. Tune in for an inside look at how the Annual Assembly is shaping the future of hospice and palliative care.  

In this episode, we explore two innovative projects—Project UPHOLDS (Utilizing Palliative care for Heart failure Optimized using Lay navigators to Decrease Suffering) and Project ADAPT HF (ADdressing All Pain Through navigator-led palliative care optimized for Heart Failure)—which focus on utilizing community-based lay navigators to optimize palliative care for heart failure, especially among older Black adults. We delve into the importance of shared decision-making and how co-designed interventions are shaping pain management trials, with a special emphasis on inclusivity and addressing under-representation in research. Rachel shares her personal journey and career trajectory, highlighting the privilege of being able to advocate for these communities and the impact of culturally responsive care.

Rachel Duncan Wells, PhD, MSN, RN, CNL

In this episode, three HPNA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB) Committee members reflect on their lived experience- how positionality impacts the way they show up to their work as hospice and palliative care clinicians and researchers and how they've shifted from cultural competency toward cultural responsiveness.

Together, these experts discuss how our knowledge and actions must evolve in the face of new information, and how we can foster a healthcare environment that not only acknowledges but celebrates individual identity and culture.

Whether you’re a clinician, researcher, or anyone passionate about making healthcare more equitable, this conversation provides valuable insight into how we can all "do better" by truly seeing each person as they are.

Nancy Dias, PhD, RN, MSN, FPCN®

Adrienne Jones-Adamczyk, MBE, RN, ACNP-BC ACHPN®, HEC-C

Katherine Doyon, PhD, MED, RN, CHPN®

In this episode, host Lynn Reinke, PhD, ANP-BC, FAAN, FPCN®, ATSF discusses approaches to philanthropy with Amy Jacobs, MSN, RN and Catherine Pyke, M.A. Ed., board members of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation.

Related Resources:

About the Speakers:

Amy Jacobs, MSN, RN

She has volunteered with HPNA and HPNF for several years as an award reviewer, member of the planning committee for the annual assembly, and a member of the HPNA Professional Development Advisory Council. She is especially proud to have facilitated support for the Emerging Leaders Award with HPNF and the BJC Institute for Palliative and Supportive Care.

Catherine Pyke, M.A. Ed. 

In addition to serving on the HPNF board, she serves as the Communications Chair for the San Francisco Region of the Order of St John, an international volunteer organization whose mission is to support St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital and social and health care needs in the U.S. She recently completed two terms on the board of the Episcopal Impact Fund in San Francisco.

An alumna of Scripps College in Claremont California, with a Masters in Education from Stanford University, she came to appreciate the contributions of innovative philanthropists, while visiting colleges, universities, medical centers arts organizations and social service agencies throughout the West. A native of Salt Lake City, she currently lives in Santa Rosa, California.

This brief episode offers an update from Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD, PhD, FAAHPM and Alexandra L. McPherson, PharmD, MPH. Listen for an update on the patient discussed in Episode 38.

Related Resources:

About the Speakers:

Alex McPherson, PharmD, MPH

She is currently a Palliative Care Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, where she serves as faculty in the interdisciplinary Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship program. In addition, she serves as a faculty member for the nation’s first M.S. in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics (University of Maryland School of Pharmacy), and M.S. in Palliative Care (University of Maryland Graduate School) programs.

She is an active member of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Society of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacists and has published and presented internationally on topics pertaining to pain management and palliative care. Her academic interests include early integration of palliative care in advanced illness, navigating transitions of care at the end-of-life, and the pharmacologic management of symptoms in serious illness. Her newest interest includes the integration of narrative medicine practices as a tool for reducing burnout and improving resiliency among palliative care providers.

In this episode, Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD, PhD, FAAHPM and Alexandra L. McPherson, PharmD, MPH discuss a complicated case involving a patient in her mid-50s from East Africa who is suffering from metastatic cancer. The conversation highlights the challenges of complex pain & symptom management while supporting a patient's goals of care.

Related Resources:

• Down on the Pharm: Contemporary Issues in Pharmacopalliation

About the Speakers:

Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD, PhD, FAAHPM

Alex McPherson, PharmD, MPH

Dr. McPherson received her Bachelor of Science in International Business from the University of Maryland in College Park, MD, followed by her Master of Public Health (MPH) with a dual certificate in International Health and Pharmaceutical Assessment, Management, and Policy from Boston University in Boston, MA. She went on to receive her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in Baltimore, MD. Subsequently she completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA and Pain Management and Palliative Care Specialty Residency at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy/MedStar Health.

She is currently a Palliative Care Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, where she serves as faculty in the interdisciplinary Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship program. In addition, she serves as a faculty member for the nation’s first M.S. in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics (University of Maryland School of Pharmacy), and M.S. in Palliative Care (University of Maryland Graduate School) programs.

She is an active member of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Society of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacists and has published and presented internationally on topics pertaining to pain management and palliative care. Her academic interests include early integration of palliative care in advanced illness, navigating transitions of care at the end-of-life, and the pharmacologic management of symptoms in serious illness. Her newest interest includes the integration of narrative medicine practices as a tool for reducing burnout and improving resiliency among palliative care providers.

In this episode, pediatric palliative care nurse practitioner Mallory Fossa, MS, CPNP-PC, CCRN, CHPPN® discusses her experiences in pediatric palliative care with Kathy Perko, MS, PPCNP-BC, CHPPN®, CPON, CPLC, FPCN, FAPHON, a pediatric nurse for 40 years and PNP for 30 years. Together, they discuss the obstacles of managing pain in children, including communication between the patient, caregivers, and palliative care team. Topics discussed include assessment, management of pain including tissue injury, nerve pain, and mixed pain, and the concept of total pain.

Related Resources:

• NEW! Palliative Care Pediatric Pain Basics

About the Speakers:

Featuring: 

Mallory Fossa, MS, CPNP-PC, CCRN, CHPPN®

Kathy Perko, MS, PPCNP-BC, CHPPN®, CPON, CPLC, FPCN, FAPHON

She is nationally certified as a pediatric nurse practitioner, pediatric oncology nurse, perinatal loss clinician and pediatric palliative care and hospice nurse.  She is recognized as a Fellow in Palliative and Hospice Care and in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.  She is national faculty for ELNEC, EPEC, and Vital Talk. Kathy has a certificate in pediatric bioethics from Children's Mercy in Kansas City and in Palliative Care from the University of Washington.