ALEXANDRIA, VA – Thanks to a $250,000 technology grant the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization will further its online educational offerings, and research on hospice and palliative care delivery and outcomes.

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, NHPCO, is the oldest and largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States. The organization is committed to improving end-of-life care and expanding access to hospice care.

In December 2006 Fujitsu awarded a $12 million grant in products and services to the U.S. hospice community.  These grants of technology to 15 hospice providers and NHPCO were part of a $30 million independently managed and court-supervised technology grant program. The grants of technology made to the hospice industry enhanced the quality of end-of-life care, medical record security, and efficient IT services. With this in mind, NHPCO was chosen again to be the recipient of the remaining grant.

"This funding and earlier grants of Fujitsu technology are essential as we support initiatives to educate and train professionals, expand research about care at the end of life, and increase awareness of quality hospice and palliative care and work to ensure that all people who can benefit from the services hospices provide will have access," said NHPCO president and CEO J. Donald Schumacher.