The Visionaries in Hospice and Palliative Care Award was created in 2013 celebrating AAHPM’s 25th anniversary and also recognizing individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the field of hospice and palliative medicine. Every 5 years, AAHPM will add to this list of visionaries to preserve and honor the work done.
For its 30th anniversary in 2018, AAHPM sought to recognize 30 more individuals who had made impactful contributions. Nearly 150 individuals were nominated and more than 6,500 votes were cast. The final 30 were determined by a panel of Past Visionaries which reviewed the top vote-getters.
Many common themes emerged in praise of the nominees – mentor, leader, big thinker. They were cited for their innovation, meaningful contributions, extraordinary vision and inspirational leadership. Among the 30 were early pioneers and trailblazers, as well as young innovators representing the new generation of Visionaries taking the profession into the future.
2024 Visionaries
Congratulations to the 23 individuals who were selected as the new class of Visionaries by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
This new class of Visionaries will be further recognized on the AAHPM Blog and at the 2025 Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care in Denver.
Past Visionaries
30th Anniversary (2018)
Listed below, in alphabetical order, is the new class of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Visionaries.
Anthony L. Back, MD
J. Andrew Billings, MD*
David J. Casarett, MD MA FAAHPM
Eric J. Cassell, MD MACP
James F. Cleary, MD MBBS FAChPM
J. Randall Curtis, MD MPH*
Constance Dahlin, MSN ANP-BC ACHPN FPCN FAAN
Frank D. Ferris, MD FAAHPM
Perry G. Fine, MD
Sarah E. Friebert, MD FAAP FAAHPM
Nahla Gafer, MD
James L. Hallenbeck, MD
Arif H. Kamal, MD MBA MHS FAAHPM
Jean S. Kutner, MD MPH/MSPH FACP FAAHPM
Joanne Lynn, MD MA
Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD MA BCPS CPE
Michael J. Nisco, MD MBA HMDC
Judith A. Paice, PhD RN FAAN
Christina M. Puchalski, MD MS FACP FAAHPM
Tammie E. Quest, MD FAAHPM
M.R. Rajagopal, MD
Christine S. Ritchie, MD MPH FAAHPM
Scott T. Shreve, DO
Christian T. Sinclair, MD FAAHPM
Thomas J. Smith, MD FACP FASCO FAAHPM
Jennifer S. Temel, MD
Joan M. Teno, MD MS
James A. Tulsky, MD FACP FAAHPM
Eric Widera, MD FAAHPM
Joanne Wolfe, MD MPH FAAHPM
*deceased
View the Visionaries in this congratulatory video.
25th Anniversary (2013)
Listed below, in alphabetical order, is the new class of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Visionaries.
Amy P. Abernethy, MD PhD FACP FAAHPM
Robert M. Arnold, MD FAAHPM
Susan Block, MD FAAHPM
Eduardo Bruera, MD FAAHPM
Janet Bull, MD FAAHPM
Ira Byock, MD FAAHPM
Gail Austin Cooney, MD FAAHPM
Nessa Coyle, NP PhD
Patrick Coyne, MSN APRN ACHPN FAAN
Betty Ferrell, PhD MA RN CHPN FAAN FPCN
Kathleen Foley, MD
Atul Gawande, MD
Sister Mary Giovanni, RN
Nancy Hinds, RN
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, MD*
David McGrew, MD FAAHPM
Diane E. Meier, MD FACP FAAHPM
R. Sean Morrison, MD FAAHPM
Balfour Mount, MD
Russell K. Portenoy, MD
Timothy E. Quill, MD FACP FAAHPM
Ronald Reagan*
Cicely Saunders, OM DBE FRCS FRCP FRCN*
Rae Seitz, MD
C. Porter Storey, Jr., MD FACP FAAHPM
Martha L. Twaddle, MD FACP FAAHPM
Charles F. von Gunten, MD PhD FACP FAAHPM
Declan Walsh, MD MSC
David E. Weissman, MD FAAHPM
Warren Wheeler, MD
*deceased