Read about our Founders Lori Butterworth and Devon Dabbs
California Association of Nonprofits Achievement in Innovation Award
Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition is honored to be this year’s recipient of the Achievement in Innovation Award from the California Association of Nonprofits. Each year the award is presented to a California nonprofit organization demonstrating innovation in the design and/or delivery of services.
CHPCC is receiving the award for the development and implementation of a new pediatric hospice and palliative care benefit for California which is modeled after the organization’s Partnership for Children Program. Especially highlighted is CHPCC’s creative approaches to better serving children with life-threatening conditions and their families
Women of the Year – Lori Butterworth and Devon Dabbs
As the co-founders and co-directors of Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition Lori Butterworth and Devon Dabbs worked to change a law. That law, a federal health care funding rule, forced many families with seriously ill children to make an agonizing choice: either continuing treatment to attempt to cure the condition or accept palliative (pain relief) and hospice care – but not both.
Lori and Devon worked at both the federal and state levels to have these rules set aside. After four years of intensive work, with the cooperation of the California Governor’s Office and a number of legislators, AB1745, the Nick Snow Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Act, was enacted. This ground-breaking legislation directed the California department of health to submit a federal waiver altering California’s administration of the Federal regulations. The result permits children to receive both in-home care services for themselves and their families while receiving continuing curative medical treatment.
The Kendall Inspiration Award
Partnership for Children Nurse Care Coordinators Sophia Schultz, RN and Shoshana Spielman, RN were honored with the Kendall Inspirational Award by the Hospice Foundation. Because of their incredible dedication to children and families, Lisa Buell, mother of Madison Buell who died at age two, nominated Sophia and Shoshana. Please take a moment to read Lisa’s touching nomination.
End of Life Nursing Education Consortium Award – Outstanding Pediatric Palliative Care
Lori Butterworth and Devon Dabbs
Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition
Watsonville, CA
- Advocates, spokespersons and Co-Executive Directors of Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition.
- Works with coalition to ensure that seriously ill children and their families get the compassionate medical, emotional, and spiritual support they need to hold on to hope – whatever form hope takes- whether it be hope for a cure, a family vacation, time with family and friends, finishing the school year, graduation, or relief of pain and a peaceful death.
- Collaborated with the various governing boards of the state of California to ensure that critically ill children and their families receive excellent palliative care. On September 19, 2006, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed The Nick Snow Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Act.
- Trained all staff in ELNEC-PPC who function in pediatric palliative care program that serves 75% monolingual Spanish speaking families.
- Used ELNEC training principles in the development of the partnership for parents (www.partnershipforparents.org).
- Received grant from the California HealthCare Foundation to fund coalition advocacy efforts.