The values of caring and compassion aren’t restricted by borders. This is a lesson the Hospice Foundation (HF) learned in its nearly 10 years of helping Center for Hospice Care (CHC) support the work of the Palliative Care Association of Uganda (PCAU). As twinned organizations under the Global Partners in Care (GPIC) umbrella, CHC has assisted PCAU in bringing culturally appropriate palliative care to those in need throughout Uganda.
The success of this partnership is the primary reason the Hospice Foundation was one of the first contacts made by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) as it began to the search for a new home for GPIC – an organization created to support Africa’s hospice and palliative care programs’ ability to provide compassionate care.
Today, the partnership network extends to several African countries, as well as India and Nepal. Since 2004, more than $4.5 million has been sent to hospice and palliative care organizations. Through the course of GPIC’s history, more than 100 US-based hospices have partnered with similar care providers in 18 countries creating not only constructive partnerships but friendships between nations, communities and individuals.
“We are very excited to take on this new challenge,” commented Hospice Foundation Chief Operating Officer Mike Wargo. “We’ve been actively engaged in supporting CHC’s partnership with PCAU for nine years. During that time, we’ve seen substantial evidence of the impact the Global Partners in Care model can have on organizations on both sides of the equation. When properly executed, these partnerships are a win-win for both the U.S. and international organization. Ultimately these partnerships improve the quality of living for patients and their families in underserved areas of the world.”
GPIC provides opportunities for U.S. hospice and palliative care organizations to make a commitment to support a hospice and palliative care organization in a developing country. Partners engage in capacity building, strategic planning, education, fundraising, and technical assistance to expand and improve services for those in need. It’s important to note that no donations to Center for Hospice Care or the Hospice Foundation are used to support global initiatives, unless explicitly requested by the donor.
To learn more about Global Partners in Care as well as ways to support the organization, please visit globalpartnersincare.org