FHPCA is proud of our dedicated and outstanding Executive Committee, we feel honored to have such a talented group of people leading our organization.

 

CHAIR

 

Chuck Lee, MA, MBA, President & CEO, Cornerstone Hospice

Before joining Cornerstone Hospice as President and CEO in 2013, Chuck had more than 11 years of executive-level hospice experience. Chuck holds a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Loyola University. He earned his Master of Arts at The George Washington University, and his Master of Business Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Chuck has also completed an extended internship in Clinical Pastoral Education at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola FL, and he is a Permanent Deacon, ordained in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee.

 

INTERNAL VICE CHAIR

 

Rana McClelland

Rana McClelleand, MBA, is the Regional Program Director of Florida operations for Compassionate Care Hospice, a large national hospice and palliative care provider. She was previously Vice President of Palliative Medical Associates, a national palliative care provider and a division of hospice and palliative care services for patients in need. She is an acknowledged expert in the hospice an palliative care industry whose many accomplishments include founding Compassionate Care Hospice’s Florida operations in 2010  and rapidly expanding to 3 programs in 6 counties by 2015. She serves on the board of the Florida Hospice and Palliative Care Association (FHPCA) and is currently the Internal Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee. A native of Huntsville, Alabama , she received her undergraduate degree at Auburn University and her MBA at Southeast University. 

 

EXTERNAL VICE CHAIR

 

Samira K. Beckwith, President and CEO of Hope Healthcare Services

Samira has served as president and CEO of Hope Healthcare Services for more than two decades. She also serves as chair of the National Hospice Foundation Board of Directors and is a National Hospice Work Group founding director. She also serves on the American Society of Pain Educators Board of Directors, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Board of Directors and is the founder and president of Florida PACE Association. Beckwith earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from The Ohio State University and has been recognized for her leadership, career accomplishments and commitments to diversity. 

 

 

SECRETARY

 

Cathy Blanchard, BSN, RN, Area Vice President of Operations, Emerald Coast Hospice

 

Cathy has been with Gentiva Health Services for over 19 years, and has been the Area Vice President of Operations – Hospice for over 6 years. A nurse by trade, Cathy also has extensive experience managing the overall operations of both Hospice and Home Health, including developing budgets and managing Agencies profitably. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from the University of South Carolina. 

 

 

 

 

 

TREASURER

 

Jaysen Roa, President & CEO, Avow

Jaysen Roa brings over 10 years of hospice leadership experience, having served as Executive Director at Good Shepherd Hospice, Inc. an affiliate of Chapters Health System, Inc. based in Lakeland, Florida. Roa also served in a variety of leadership roles at Hernando Pasco Hospice (HPH), Inc. and also worked at Hospice of Citrus County, Inc., both based in Florida.
Roa currently serves as President & CEO for Avow.

 

 

PAST CHAIR

 

VACANT

 

 

COMMITTEE CHAIRS:

 

Research & Development Committee

Peggy Pettit 

Peggy has more than 35 years of experience in hospice management and nursing.

She joined VITAS in 1983 as a registered nurse in the Broward County, Florida, program and quickly rose through the ranks, serving as a nurse, team manager, patient care administrator, and general manager.

Peggy is a longtime member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), and serves as co-chair of its Membership Committee. She also is a Board member of the Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life, and was recently named to the Board of Community Home Accreditation Program (CHAP). Peggy also acts as a hospice expert advisor to the Joint Commission, and has worked in the past with the NHPCO Regulatory sub-committee.

Peggy is a Certified Healthcare Compliance Professional.

 

 

 

Quality Committee: Indicators & Education

Susan Ponder-Stansel

Susan began her career with Community Hospice (then known as Hospice of Northeast Florida) as a volunteer clinical social worker for the nonprofits new St. Augustine office in 1985, having just earned a master’s degree in social work from Florida State University. She became the organization’s first staff social worker in 1986.

She became Executive Director in 1988 and was named president and CEO of Community Hospice of Northeast Florida in April 1991. During her tenure, Community Hospice has grown from serving 60 patients a day with a staff of 35 to an organization of approximately 850 full- and part-time staff serving approximately 1,200 patients each day.

In addition to serving as president of the Junior Service League of St. Augustine from 1993-94, Susan has served on the Board of Directors of United Way of St. Johns County; the Advisory Board of the Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board; the Trustees of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce; and the Jacksonville Women’s Network.

 

 

 

Public Policy Committee

Dave Fielding, President & CEO, Trustbridge
 David C. Fielding joined Hospice of Palm Beach County as President and Chief Executive Officer in December 1998.  Under Mr. Fielding’s leadership, Hospice of Palm Beach County has grown from caring for approximately 200 patients on a daily basis to more than 2000 patients on a daily basis, branching out to bring the organization into Broward County and merging with Hospice by the Sea, forming a new parent company, Trustbridge, which includes Hospice of Palm Beach County, Hospice by the Sea, FocusCare and Harbor Palliative Care.