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.
HFA’s 2025 Living with Grief® program highlights interventive, creative, and adjunct evidence-based strategies used to assist dying patients and their intimate networks find meaning, value, and comfort. End-of-life care providers from across the country will share insights into programs such as pet therapy, art and music therapy, and the use of virtual reality, which improve the dying experience, offering patients and their networks enhanced quality care, an improved perception of care, and the amelioration of grief. Hospice providers, in turn, may benefit from satisfied clients, recognition in their communities, and enhanced staff morale.
Click here to watch a sneak peek!
Registration Options
Continuing Education
Professional CE hours included with registration; choose your certificate type below.
If you would like a certificate of attendance only or do not need CEs, click here.
Alvin Harmon is the Director of Spiritual, Bereavement, and Supportive Services at Coastal Hospice in Maryland. With over 15 years of experience in the death and dying industry, Alvin spearheads programs and leads efforts in community coalition building, spiritual and grief support, harm reduction services, and addressing health disparities and injustices. His dedication extends to championing…
Bryan Harnetiaux has been a Playwright-in-Residence at Spokane Civic Theatre in Spokane, Washington, since 1982. Thirteen of his plays have been published; these works include commissioned stage adaptations of Ernest Hemingway’s The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Killers, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s Long Walk to Forever, all published by The Dramatic Publishing Company. His play…
Joanne Harpel is President of Coping After Suicide, LLC, an international authority on suicide bereavement and postvention response. She is certified in Thanatology (death, dying, and bereavement) and has over 20 years’ experience addressing the questions, emotions, and complexities that arise in the aftermath of suicide. Harpel’s full-service practice includes working directly with grieving individuals,…
Jill Harrington-LaMorie is an adjunct professor for The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Washington DC Campus, and also maintains an active clinical counseling practice. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, American Association of Suicidology, and the Association for Death Education & Counseling (ADEC) where she is also a former Board…
Darcy Harris is a professor in the Department of Thanatology at King’s University College in London, Ontario, Canada, where she also maintains a private clinical practice specializing in issues related to change, loss, and transition. She currently serves on the board of directors of the International Work Group on Death, Dying, and Bereavement and recently…
Mansara Hassan is a geriatric nurse practitioner. She is committed to advancing the field of hospice and palliative care by advocating for compassionate, patient-centered approaches, and mentorship. She has been involved in national initiatives to improve diversity and inclusion within the hospice and palliative nursing profession. Hassan is a board director for the Hospice and…
Elaine Healy is the vice president of medical affairs and medical director at United Hebrew of New Rochelle, a multi-service healthcare organization that includes a 300-bed skilled nursing facility, two senior independent housing units, two assisted living facilities, and a robust home care program. She is board certified in Internal, Geriatric and Hospice and Palliative…
Wanda Henry-Jenkins is Bereavement Services Manager for Vitas Healthcare in Chicago and an HFA Hospice Hero. She has worked in healthcare for more than 50 years as a nurse, chaplain, and bereavement volunteer manager. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Henry-Jenkins, who is also known affectionately as “Reverend Wanda,” was a co-leader of Vitas’ national online support…
Brenda Hernández es Coordinadora Programa Satélite de Español para el centro de apoyo al duelo OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center, en Los Ángeles, CA.
Stephen Hersh is a psychiatrist who has specialized in dealing with the chronically and terminally ill and their families.
Teresa Holstein is the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Hudson Valley Hospice in New York. With over a decade of hospice experience, Teresa’s career spans leadership roles in community programs, large hospital-based programs, and multi-site programs. Teresa’s hospice career began as a family caregiver, her grandmother’s end-of-life experience serving as the inspiration…
For the last 40 years, William Hoy has been walking alongside the dying, the bereaved, and the professionals who care for them. Following more than 17 years directing the bereavement program for a southern California community hospice program, Hoy became clinical professor of medical humanities at Baylor University where he served from 2012 to 2024….
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.
