Experts & Educators
We are a hub for the country’s most distinguished hospice and grief experts, researchers, and professionals. HFA experts help to inform and educate on a wide range of timely and relevant topics essential to best practice.
Our HFA educators are well known and widely recognized as experts in their fields.
They’re researchers with decades of knowledge backed by evidenced-based studies.
They’re professionals who have honed their skills with years of patient and family care.
HFA has been privileged to include many notable experts in its professional education offerings over the past 30 years, including the late Earl. A Grollman; Nancy Hogan, RN, PhD; Karla Holloway, PhD; the late William M. Lamers, MD; the late Richard E. Payne, MD.
Below is a complete listing of our presenters and authors from 2020 onward. We are grateful for their willingness to share their expertise to advance hospice and bereavement care through HFA.
Working with people confronting grief, loss, trauma, and tragedy is an intensely personal endeavor—one that carries well-documented risks for practitioners, including burnout, moral distress, and compassion fatigue. Yet current research and clinical wisdom show that the demands of this work can be managed effectively and may even promote personal and professional growth. Drawing on recent developments in positive psychology, neuroscience, and contemporary psychotherapy, this session presents evidence-based strategies to strengthen emotional resilience, sustain meaningful self-care, and enhance clinical effectiveness.
Registration Options
Please Note: Individual memberships and registrations are not eligible for organization or community use.
Continuing education included with registration
Lisa Morgan is a certified autism specialist and advocate of the autism community with regards to crisis supports, suicide prevention, and postvention. She is co-chair of the Autism and Suicide committee of the American Association of Suicidology and author of ‘Crisis Supports for the Autism Community–a toolkit. Lisa is a subject matter expert as an…
Scott Morgan is an end-of-life doula, nonprofit executive, and advocate for more human-centered approaches to serious illness, dying, and grief. Trained through the Peaceful Presence Project, he maintains a private end-of-life doula practice, Returning Home NYC; serves as the New York City Director for Present for You; and has volunteered many hours at Jamaica Hospital…
Kate Morrissey Stahl is an associate clinical professor of social work at the University of Georgia, a licensed clinical social worker in the states of Georgia and South Carolina, and an American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) certified sex therapist and supervisor. Her research focuses on the intersection of aging and sexual…
Karen Moss is a registered nurse and tenured associate professor of nursing in the College of Nursing at The Ohio State University. She is a distinguished fellow in the National Academies of Practice – Nursing Academy and a Gerontological Society of America Fellow. Dr. Moss is an expert in the conduct of research with Black…
Laura Musselman is Executive Director of the Humane Hospice Prison Project. She is an end-of-life doula, writer, and former college instructor. With a background in philosophy, education, and trauma support, she brings both critical inquiry and practical grounding to her leadership. As the Executive Director of the Humane Prison Hospice Project, Laura focuses on strengthening…
Balu Natarajan is a graduate of Northwestern University Medical School and has been the Chief Medical Officer of Accent Care formerly Seasons Hospice since 2005. He served in various capacities for Seasons from 2000 until 2005, including holding the position of Medical Director of the Illinois program. Board-certified in internal medicine, hospice and palliative care, and sports medicine, Dr….
Robert Neimeyer is Professor Emeritus of the Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, maintains an active consulting practice, and directs the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition, which provides global online training in grief therapy. Neimeyer has published 35 books, including Living Beyond Loss: Questions and Answers about Grief and Bereavement and New Techniques of…
Dr. O’Connor is a Professor at the University of Arizona Department of Psychology, where she directs the Grief, Loss and Social Stress (GLASS) Lab. She earned a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Arizona in 2004 and following a faculty appointment at UCLA Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, she returned to the University of…
Chaplain Kevin Orie serves as a chaplain at Hospice of the Chesapeake, offering spiritual and emotional care to patients facing life-limiting illnesses and their loved ones. Holding a Doctor of Ministry degree, specializing in chaplaincy studies from Lancaster Bible College, and a pastorate for nine years, he brings several years of experience in providing pastoral…
Sheila Otten is in private practice in Louisville, KY, living out her passion providing education and support to children and families. She is also an instructor at the University of Louisville. Otten worked in community mental health supporting children and families in crisis and went on to serve as the primary social worker with the…
Lisa Pahl is co-creator of The Death Deck and The E•O•L Deck, tools that inspire meaningful conversations on what matters most in our lives and in our deaths. As a licensed clinical social worker with over 17 years of experience within hospice and emergency medicine, Pahl helps people cope with illness, dying, and grief. With…
Lara Palay is a licensed social worker and clinical supervisor. She teaches clinical social work at The Ohio State University College of Social Work. Ms. Palay served as the first Project Manager for the Mental Illness/Developmental Disabilities Coordinating Center of Excellence for the Ohio Department of Mental Health and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities….
Whether you’re a patient, family member, or a friend trying to determine whether hospice is the right choice, HFA is here. We provide guidance before, during, and after the important decisions are made.
HFA’s online courses and products can enhance your knowledge and advance your understanding. Choose materials designed for individuals, organizations, and communities. Join HFA and receive free access to courses and product discounts.
