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Florence Wald, pioneer in the field of hospice care in the United States, died peacefully at her home in Connecticut on Saturday, November 8, 2008. She was 91.
NHPCO, the National Hospice Foundation, the Foundation for Hospices in Sub Saharan Africa, and the Alliance for Care at the End of Life extend their deepest sympathies to her family, friends, and colleagues the world over and honor her for her special gifts and contributions that improved the way we live and die.
Florence Schorske Wald, RN, MSN, FAAN, an internationally recognized expert in end-of-life care, was perhaps best known as the Dean of Nursing at Yale University (1959-1968) who brought modern hospice care to the United States.
The modern concept of hospice was a new model being developed by Cicely Saunders at St. Christopher’s Hospice outside of London in the 1960s. Wald was so inspired by the work being done at St. Christopher’s that in 1965 she invited Saunders to serve as a visiting faculty member of the Yale School of Nursing for a term.
The professional collaboration – and indeed the friendship of these two pioneers – took a deep hold. In 1968 Wald left her position at Yale to spend a year at St. Christopher’s to learn as much as possible about caring for the dying. She knew that hospice care had a place in the United States and subsequently established a determined group of individuals who opened what is credited as the first U.S. hospice, the Connecticut Hospice, in New Haven in 1974.
“Florence Wald was a true American pioneer and her work led to fundamental changes in the care that dying people in this country receive. Her leadership, dedication and visionary understandings of caring for people at the end of life have been instrumental to the work being done every day in hospice and palliative care programs across the country,” said J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO,
The recipient of numerous awards, she was honored with the NHPCO Founders Award in 1987 for her extensive contributions to the field.
“Florence Wald was committed to making sure that people can die with dignity and compassion and that their families receive much needed support,” added Schumacher.
Hospices in the U.S. cared for 1.4 million patients facing a life-limiting illness last year. Her work improved the end-of-life experience.
A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 2:00pm at Yale University’s Battelle Chapel with a reception following at the Yale School of Nursing.
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