For Immediate Release: September 14, 2022  Contact: Brittney Stock, HPNA marketing manager, brittneys@hpna.org  

HPNA Representative Chosen for National CMS Technical Expert Panel The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) is proud to announce that Nicole DePace, MS, APRN, GNP-BC, ACHPN, will represent HPNA on a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Technical Expert Panel (TEP). TEP members use their knowledge and experience to review new measure ideas, review results from testing of measures that are currently in development, and provide feedback on other quality-measurement and measure development topics.  DePace will serve on the Health Equity TEP, which will provide input and advice on the health equity structural measure concept under development, as well as the needs of hospice and home health populations—especially those that have traditionally been underserviced.

The panel will ensure that the developed health equity measure concept is meaningful for hospice and home health populations and transparent to providers in those settings.   “I am honored to have been nominated by HPNA and chosen to represent the hospice and palliative care nursing community on the Health Equity TEP,” DePace said. “I am passionate about providing high-quality palliative care and increasing access for all patient populations. Serving on this panel is a wonderful opportunity to use my experience to further my commitment to increasing health equity amongst underserved communities.”