In June 2003, representatives from the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA), National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses (NBCHPN^(R)), and Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF) and Judy Lentz, as Executive Director of each of these organizations, met with a consultant to discuss how we could collectively move forward to have a greater impact on nursing care at the end of life. Our unified vision is to ensure that all persons who provide palliative nursing care have the knowledge and expertise to deliver high-quality end-of-life care.

We are pleased to announce that we are forming the Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing. The mission of the Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing is to serve as the voice and resource fostering excellence in hospice and palliative nursing care. To this end, the Alliance is committed to long-term planning, strengthening alliance members' relationships, and promoting heightened awareness of palliative nursing. Our focus is to proactively plan for the future.

This is an important time for our 3 organizations and for the future of end-of-life nursing. Individually, the HPNA, NBCHPN^(R), and HPNF are making important contributions and are increasingly being recognized not only within the discipline of nursing for our expertise but also in the larger healthcare arena. Forming of the Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing will enhance our ability to draw on each other's strengths and to envision the future of high-quality end-of-life nursing care. For a copy of the Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing 2003 Annual Report, which includes the HPNA, NBCHPN^(R), and HPNF 2003 annual reports, please visit http://www.hpna.org.

The 2004 Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing Board of Trustees includes:

* Jeanne Martinez, NBCHPN^(R) President and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees

* Connie Dahlin, HPNA President and Secretary of the Board of Trustees

* Molly Poleto, HPNF President

* Linda Gorman, HPNA representative

* Barbara Miller, HPNF representative

* Carol Spence, NBCHPN^(R) representative

* Judy Lentz, Executive Director of HPNA, NBCHPN^(R), and HPNF, and Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing