Leadership

Meet the dedicated leadership team driving our mission to improve palliative care. Our staff members bring expertise, compassion, and a commitment to advancing quality care for patients and families across the field.

Board of Directors

Merilee Smith

Chair

Director of Inpatient Care Units
Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care

Doug Irvin

Immediate Past Chair

Vitas Healthcare

Open

Vice Chair

Fawn Hendershott

Board Secretary

Uplifted Care

Jennifer McIlrath

Chief Nursing Officer

Transitions Care

Yonah Klien

Director of Strategy

Unity Hospice and Palliative Care

Noel Nickel

Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer

Northern Illinois Hospice

Carrie Bill

Board Treasurer

VP of Reimbursement
Accentcare

Wendy Bongero

Residential Hospice and Palliative Care

Julie Goldstein

Ethics and ACP Educator
Advocate Health Care

Kristin James

Ellen Byrne

Director of Policy and Government Affairs


Sara Dado, LCSW

Executive Director

Katie Lord, BSN

Education Coordinator

Ellen Byrne

Director of Policy and Government Affairs

Executive Chair

Merilee Smith

Finance

Carrie Bill

Education

Merilee Smith

Government Affairs Chair

Doug Irvin

POLST Committee

Julie Goldstein

Pass-Through Elimination Workgroup

Ellen Byrne