Founding Members:

Vanessa Chicca, MA - (e-mail)
          Author, Speaker, Trainer

San Diego Hospice & Palliative Care - (e-mail)
          Doris Howell, M.D.

Vitas Hospice - (e-mail)
          LaVon Switzer

Christine Knutson - (e-mail)

Member Organizations include:

Always Best Care Senior Services - (e-mail)
          Bill Mathis, Owner

County Aging & Independence Services - (e-mail)
          Martin Dare

Hemlock Society of San Diego - (e-mail)

Hospice of the North Coast - (e-mail)
          Christine Knutson
          Nerice Kaufman

Lightbridge Hospice & Palliative Care - (e-mail)
          Stacy Penney
          Jeffrey Willman
          Pameal Hough

San Diego Eye Bank - (e-mail)
          Nancy Biagioni
          Teresa Zamzow
          Jeffrey Penta

Sharp Hospice Care - (e-mail)
          Juan Franco, Access & Business Development
          Veva Arroyo, Business Development Specialist

Village Cremation Service, Inc. - (e-mail)
          Randy Bellamy, President

Individual Members include:

Susan Reichel - Aadvanced Home Health Services - (e-mail)

Kelly McHenry, MSW - Avalon Hospice - (e-mail)

Stanley Terman, Ph.D., M.D. - Caring Advocates - (e-mail)

Caroline A. Flanders, Life-Cycle Celebrant®
Celebrant Foundation & Institute - Interfaith Officiant
Phone: 760-310-1142 - (e-mail)

Kathryn Harris Badua - Gravesite Keepers
Phone: 619-820-8541 - (e-mail)

Rev. Sharon Lund - Author, Producer, International Speaker
Phone: 619-692-9507 - (e-mail)

Lee Myers - (e-mail)

Annette Russel - Odyssey Hospice - (e-mail)

San Diego Hospice & Palliative Care - (e-mail)
          Doris Howell, M.D.
          Sarah Cupples
          Bonnie Bell
          Nan Johnson

Rev. Debra Timmons - Sharp Grossmont Hospital - (e-mail)

Alejandra Ceja-Aguilar - Southern Caregiver Resource Center - (e-mail)

Below are a few pictures of the members of the San Diego County Coalition for Improving End-of-Life Care at the booths outside a performance of the wonderful play we sponsored called Vesta.  Vesta traces the last few years in the life of a feisty and delightful woman named Vesta as she goes from fully independent, through a small stroke, then cancer treatment, then heart disease, and the relationship, financial, and independence issues she encounters and shares with her daughter, granddaughter, son-in-law, and with health care professionals.

Vesta addresses many of the very important issues that we all deal with at the end of our own lives and at the end of the lives of loved ones.  Theatre is a wonderful way to learn, raise and highlight what are sometimes difficult issues.  After the performance we presented a panel of experts on end-of-life care to discuss with the audience the important issues introduced by the play.

Vanessa Chicca at our Coalition booth

Vanessa Chica, Scott Kunkel, Lori Moody, Cindy Jones, Janine Lortcher, and Linda Christopher at the registration booth

Lori Moody at the Sharp Hospice Care booth

Picture board showing the actors in the cast of the performance of Vesta

The Performance from the back of the large auditorium

A panel of experts on end-of-life issues discusses the play with the audience after the performance