IAHPC Board Member Retires

On December 31st, I completed my term as a Board Member of the IAHPC so it is time to say goodbye. I am enormously grateful for the opportunity I was given to work with such a diverse and talented group of colleagues. I am also grateful for the opportunity to share whatever skills I have in the field of palliative care and end-of-life care with the broad membership of the IAHPC. I am proud to be part of this organization and plan to maintain an active role. I extend my thanks to Eduardo Bruera, Liliana De Lima and Kathleen Foley, as well as to fellow Board members for their unfailing leadership and support.

During my Board tenure I came to appreciate how much can be done with so little. It also brought into sharp focus for me, how much suffering there is in the world that we turn a blind eye to, and how easy it is to maintain an extraordinary level of remoteness from the everyday experience of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, living and dying with uncontrolled symptoms because of lack of access to care. I was reminded too of the valiant efforts of nurses, doctors and families who are trying to provide a modicum of comfort and care and what a difference they make through their very presence.

Best wishes to all of you in your ongoing work.

Nessa Coyle, PhD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center