New York State Department of Health Launches Center for Hospice and Palliative Care

New Center Expands Department's Office of Aging and Long Term Care

Former Health Care Executive Named as Director of New Center

ALBANY, N.Y. (August 19, 2024) – The New York State Department of Health today announced the new Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, which will be under the Department's Office for Aging and Long Term Care (OALTC). The new Center, established under the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul, will be led by Kara Travis, a health care executive who most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care in Gloversville, New York.

"This new center will help us remove barriers that impact access to the profound comfort, support and dignity that palliative and hospice services can provide for individuals and families facing the end of life," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "Launching the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care was a top priority for this Department and highlights Governor Hochul's ongoing commitment to eliminating healthcare disparities for all New Yorkers."

Ms. Travis brings a wealth of experience from the health care system as a former executive with Bassett Healthcare Network and most recently as President and CEO of Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care.

Center for Hospice and Palliative Care Director Kara Travis said, "I am honored to lead this important new Center and look forward to working with the outstanding team at the Office for Aging and Long Term Care as well as the dedicated frontline staff around the State to help ensure we continue the Department's work to eliminate healthcare access disparities for end of life care as a critical piece of the care continuum."

The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care and Ms. Travis have been entrusted with a number of ambitious goals: develop and implement a robust workplan focused on increased utilization of end-of-life care; employ data and research to develop model practices; and provide stakeholder education and training to support and encourage advance care planning and high quality end of life services throughout the State.

Over the next year, the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care will also be working with stakeholders, including health care professionals and others, to mount a public education campaign promoting the understanding and importance of end of life care and the critical need for advance care planning. The Department also has a number of resources that explain the advance care planning process and the importance of making those plans, which can be found here.