J. Donald Schumacher, Psy.D., has 25 years of progressively responsible experience in hospice and palliative care administration. Since 2002, he has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), which is the largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the world. In 2003, he was appointed as the President and CEO of NHPCO’s subsidiary organization, the National Hospice Foundation. He became the President of the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2004.

Dr. Schumacher reports directly to the Board of Trustees as the key executive responsible for operations of the NHPCO and its two ancillary organizations. Under his direction, NHPCO has developed and initiated a comprehensive strategic plan for 2005–2007, The Blueprint for Quality and Access, which promotes continuous improvement in the quality of hospice and palliative care services and business practices, and access by increasing the use of palliative and hospice care and integration of end of life care into the health care continuum. To date, implementation of The Blueprint for Quality and Access has generated a 20% increase in membership; increased the range of educational offerings available to members; improved access to training for minority populations; raised NHPCO’s political visibility in influencing public policy and legislation; and launched research to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of end of life care.

Dr. Schumacher was integral to NHPCO’s success in securing a $2.5 million grant (renewable) from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a $3.5 million grant from the Diana Princess of Wales Foundation. These funds have allowed NHPCO to double its staff in order to increase global partnership development; facilitated a $100 million capital campaign; fueled the two-year strategic planning process; and bolstered a consumer engagement initiative to improve public awareness and access to hospice and end of life care.

From 1989 until he joined NHPCO in 2002, Dr. Schumacher served as the President and CEO of The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, Buffalo, New York. During his tenure, he led the development of an integrated hospice campus in the Buffalo, New York area, launching a variety of hospice-related organizations including nursing homes and mental health and pediatric care facilities, as well as a stellar bereavement education program. Among his other notable professional endeavors, Dr. Schumacher was the President and Founder of The Hospice of Mission Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, which was established as one of the first HIV/AIDS hospices in the U.S.

A globally recognized authority on hospice and palliative care, Dr. Schumacher has been active throughout his career as a member and officer of various industry organizations. He has also served as an expert, strategic planning consultant to individual hospice and palliative care programs and state associations throughout the U.S. An active public speaker, Dr. Schumacher has presented domestically and internationally on topics such as strategic planning for hospices, palliative care policy development, and clinical guidelines for HIV.

Dr. Schumacher is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York and Massachusetts and holds a doctorate degree in psychology from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, Boston, Massachusetts. In 2005, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he earned his M.S. degree in counseling psychology.