For Immediate Release:
March 4, 2022

Rory Farrand Has 20 Years of Health Care Experience

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) today announced that Rory will join the organization as the Vice President of Palliative and Advanced Care. Farrand, who will start in her new role at the end of this month, brings more than 20 years of proven health care success in focus areas including palliative care, geriatric primary and acute care, geriatric psychiatry, assisted living management, Alzheimer’s/dementia care, clinical health care management and operations, clinical research, innovative program development, nursing, and training. She has been an active member of NHPCO and of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA), serving on volunteer committees and advisory councils with both organizations.  

NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach said, “As the need for community-based palliative care continues to grow across the country, NHPCO members are ideally positioned to meet that need. At the same time, NHPCO is the organization that can lead the effort to define palliative care for the health care sector and for consumers. Rory comes into the position with deep knowledge and experience delivering palliative care services as a provider, plus a member’s understanding of how NHPCO can continue improving our support for those providers. With her leadership, we can lead the next evolution of palliative care.”  

Farrand said, “I was inspired to get into palliative care by the personal experience of my mother’s death from cancer. Working as a provider, I have seen the benefits that high-quality, high-touch, interdisciplinary palliative care brings to patients with serious illnesses and their families. I look forward to working with the hospice and palliative care community to continue expanding availability of palliative care, raising consumer awareness, and increasing access by moving upstream along the continuum of care.” 

Farrand joins NHPCO from VITAS Healthcare, where she is currently winding down her tenure as National Director of VITAS Palliative Care. In that role, she has overseen all of VITAS’ palliative care initiatives to improve and expand palliative care for VITAS patients, families, and health care providers. Her key objectives include embedding goals-of-care conversation expertise into the palliative care specialty and serving as an industry advocate for legislative and regulatory action toward community-based palliative care delivery models. 

Prior to VITAS, Farrand served as Vice President of Medical Management for Centene Corporation’s PA Health and Wellness, serving Pennsylvania—a role that included national program development for projects on palliative care and social determinants of health. She previously served as Vice President of Clinical Learning & Development and Regional VP of Clinical Operations for PA/WV for Aspire Health, with multistate oversight of dispersed interdisciplinary teams providing high-quality palliative care. 

Farrand is a board-certified adult nurse practitioner with an MSN focused on geriatric and adult health. Additionally, she holds an advanced practice certificate in palliative care, a BA in Psychology, an MS in Behavioral Neuroscience, and an MA in Art Therapy. She has worked as both a Nurse Practitioner and an Art Therapist. She is active in multiple professional organizations, including HPNA and the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association. Rory enjoys baking, yoga, reading, and spending time with her sons.  

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
Communications Director
Ph: 571-412-3973