Kyle P. Edmonds, MD FAAHPM
Clinical Professor at UC San Diego Health Sciences
Health Policy Strategic Coordinating Commitee Chair
When I first walked the halls of Capitol Hill in 2013 as part of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) advocacy delegation, I knew we were planting seeds. We spoke with policymakers about the urgent need for federal investment in palliative care research—an area that, despite its profound impact on quality of life, had long been underfunded and underrecognized. At the time, my conversations with leaders like Representatives Scott Peters and Susan Davis, and the legislative staff of Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, were met with curiosity, compassion, and a shared desire to improve care for those living with serious illness. But we also knew that change would take time.
Over the next decade, AAHPM remained steadfast. We built coalitions, educated lawmakers, submitted testimony, and returned to the Hill year after year. Our message was consistent: palliative care is not just a clinical specialty—it’s a human imperative. We advocated for the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA), pushed for NIH recognition, and emphasized the need for research that spans the lifespan and reflects the diversity of patients and caregivers.
This year, we reached a milestone that once felt aspirational. The launch of the ASCENT Consortium—funded through 2030 by the National Institute on Aging and supported by multiple NIH institutes—is a landmark achievement. It represents the first sustained federal investment in a coordinated, multi-institute strategy for palliative care research. ASCENT’s mission to advance high-quality, innovative research across the lifespan is exactly what we envisioned during those early Hill visits. It’s a testament to the power of persistence, collaboration, and the belief that better care is always worth fighting for.
Personally, I’m proud to have played a small part in this journey. As a clinician and educator, I’ve seen firsthand the gaps in evidence that limit our ability to deliver the best care. As an advocate, I’ve witnessed how stories—of patients, families, and providers—can move policy forward. And as a member of AAHPM, I’ve been inspired by the collective commitment of our community to make palliative care research a national priority.
The work isn’t done. ASCENT is just the beginning. We must continue to support early-career investigators, fund exploratory studies, and ensure that research reflects the lived experiences of all people with serious illnesses. But today, we celebrate. We honor the long road that brought us here and the many hands that helped pave it.
To those who walked the Hill with me, who wrote letters, who testified, who believed—thank you. This moment belongs to all of us.