The End-of-Life Doula world is expanding, bringing this important service into the spotlight in many arenas. Here are some initiatives to watch. On this page we'll keep you updated about ways you can participate in the growth of this exciting movement.

NHPCO End-of-Life Doula Council

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, the leading hospice and palliative care membership organization in the US, formed the End-of-life Doula Council in 2018. NHPCO is the 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 with the goal of profoundly enhancing quality of life for people dying in America and their loved ones.

The Council's purpose is to "provide information and resources to NHPCO, its members, affiliated organizations, and the general public to promote awareness and understanding of the end‐of‐life doula role. It also informs those constituents of the benefits of doulas for dying people and their families, and guides them on incorporating doulas into existing services and how to access outside doula providers. The Council assists in the creation of educational offerings about the role and benefits of EOLD’s to dying people and their families, and for consumers and NHPCO events, including webinars, written materials and website resources. In an effort to measure the impact of including doulas at the end of life, the Council also makes recommendations for research projects that can produce quantitative and qualitative results." 

NHPCO hopes to involve its membership in the long‐range goal of incorporating EOLDs into care delivery, either as agency staff, specially trained volunteers, or as independent contractors engaged by families. EOLDs enrich the experience for patients, family members and friends, and strengthen the relationship between medical and non-medical end‐of‐life support. The Council plans to evaluate the efficacy of EOLD collaboration with hospice services by conducting research to establish best practices for the future.

Founding members of the Council are: Deanna Cochran, Chair, Henry Fersko-Weiss, Vice-Chair, Patty Burgess-Brecht, Tarron Estes, Suzanne O'Brien, Merilynne Rush, and Lee Webster. Membership on the Council is open to all through the NHPCO annual application process.

​To learn more about how you can get involved or apply for a seat at the table, go to nhpco.org. 

2018 Inaugural NHPCO End-of-Life Doula Council Meeting, April 25, Washington, DC (l-r) Merilynne Rush (LifeSpan Doulas), Jeff Markle (proxy for Tarron Estes, Conscious Dying Institute), Lee Webster (National Home Funeral Alliance), Suzanne O'Brien (DoulaGivers), Trudy Brown (Teaching Transitions), Chair Deanna Cochran (Quality of Life Care), Patty Burgess (Teaching Transitions and Doing Death Differently), Beth Fells (NHPCO Executive Office Director), John Mastrojohn (NHPCO Chief Operating Officer), and Vice Chair Henry Fersko-Weiss (International End-of-Life Doula Association)