Debbie Robson, Executive Director of Hospice Care of the West, elected to California Hospice and Palliative Care Association Board of Directors Region 6.
Debbie Robson, the renowned innovative Executive Director of Hospice Care of the West, is elected to the Board of Directors of California Hospice and Palliative Care Association (CHAPCA). She will represent Region 6 that encompasses hospice organizations in Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. The mission of CHAPCA is to promote and strengthen the delivery of hospice care for patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families through education and advocacy.
“I’m honored by the opportunity to be a unifying voice for the hospices in our region,” said Robson. “I look forward to continuing the mission of CHAPCA to educate the community about the benefits of hospice and innovating hospice care from the front lines. I hope to continue to change the public conversation about hospice from dying to celebrating life.”
Robson has more than 20 years experience in end-of-life care that began as a hospice and home health nurse. Under Robson’s leadership, Hospice Care of the West received the Outstanding Program Achievement Award given by the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association to an innovative hospice program that can an example for the hospice community in 2012. Robson was also honored with SeniorServ’s “Executive Director of the Year” receiving the Senior Care Hero Award in 2012.
“We’re excited to welcome Debbie to the Board of Directors,” Susan Negreen, President of CHAPCA, said. “Her experience and vision will strengthen our mission at CHAPCA. And I’d like to congratulate her on the vote of confidence from the hospice community.”
With Robson at the helm, Hospice Care of the West has risen to become a premier-award-winning hospice providing patients and their families with exceptional care and volunteer programs that give life review videos, last wish celebrations and vigil volunteers to ensure that end of life is a meaningful and memorable journey. The programs at Hospice Care of the West go above the required Medicare benefit to transform a stage of life that has been historically alienating into a time to honor a patient’s life with the family, community and future generations. In 2011, Robson collaborated with Denise Carson, author of the book Parting Ways, to launch an online resource OurLifeCelebrations.com to educate patients, families and health care providers about hospice and new ways to approach, prepare for, and celebrate life’s final journey.
Robson is spreading the mission of celebrating life with Community Reminiscing Corners that invite healthy seniors at assisted living facilities and senior centers to record their wisdom on video and learn about the value of hospice care. Internally, Robson launched Reminiscing Corners for her staff to sit down with veteran life story documentary filmmaker, Jay Gianukos, to share their wisdom and life stories. The Reminiscing Corner videos are then played at the bi-monthly Celebration!, a gathering of the entire hospice team
to celebrate each other and remember the patients who they have cared for and passed on. Celebration is a gathering for reflection and renewal to strengthen and support the hospice team in providing the best care to their patients and honoring their life’s journey. Catch a glimpse of Celebration here.
Prior to Hospice Care of the West, Robson worked as a Regional Hospice Consultant at Heartland Hospice. She also served as the Director of Hospice for St. Joseph Hospice in Orange, Calif. Robson completed her Bachelors of Science in Nursing and Masters in Business Administration in Healthcare Management.
Robson will begin her newly elected position on the Board of Directors of CHAPCA immediately and will serve for three years. She hopes to unite the hospices in a common goal to raise awareness about hospice so patients and their families can receive hospice relief sooner in their journey.