HPCC Announces 2026 Board of Directors
The Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC) is proud to introduce the 2026 Board of Directors.
President: Kristin Akers, MSN, ACNP-BC, ACHPN®, is dually boarded as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and an Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse, and works at the University of Utah. Her career spans oncology critical care, palliative care, and communication in health care. She co-directs the Utah Advanced Communication Training (UACT) program, an evidence-based course that has trained more than 1,000 health care professionals in serious illness communication. As a distinguished faculty member with VitalTalk, she leads national train-the-trainer programs, mentoring clinicians across disciplines.
Treasurer: Jacklyn Griffin, DNP, ACNP-BC, ACHPN®, is an advanced practice RN with more than 20 years of nursing experience. She is currently the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer for a multi-state telehealth palliative care startup. She previously held the position of Director of Clinical Operations at a multi-campus ambulatory community oncology practice. She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Vanderbilt University and is dual-certified as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and an Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse. She specializes in oncology, chronic disease and symptom management, advanced care planning, and value-based initiatives. Jacklyn is a doctoral-prepared nursing leader responsible for data-driven, evidence-based clinical decisions advancing quality and patient care forward.
Secretary: Arden O’Donnell, PhD, MPH, MSW, LICSW, APHSW-C®, is a palliative social work researcher. She began her professional career in social work as a Pediatric Palliative Care (PACT) Fellow at Children’s Hospital and worked for more than a decade at Mass General Brigham Hospital on the Palliative Care Service. Her long-time commitment to palliative care began with a focus on international public health working with HIV/AIDS patients in Zimbabwe and Lesotho. Arden received her PhD from Boston University where her dissertation focused on the social worker’s role in cultivating prognostic awareness with patients and families coping with serious illnesses. Additionally, Arden has taught Social Work in Health Care at several schools of social work, including Smith College, Simmons University, and Boston University. She also teaches communication and palliative care skills to interprofessional clinicians, residents, and medical students as a faculty member of the Harvard-based Palliative Care Education Practice (PCEP) Program and is a Vital Talk-trained facilitator. Arden is dedicated to helping children who have experienced the loss of a parent and has founded Coalition for Courage, a nonprofit focused on supporting the education of orphans in Zimbabwe.
Past-President: Alicia Murray, DNP, MSN, RN, CHPN®, CNE, is an Associate Professor and the Director of Graduate Nursing at Husson University. She is from Glenburn, Maine, and has been in nursing for more than 39 years. She began as a Licensed Practical Nurse and earned her Doctorate in Nursing Practice with a Population Health focus from Quinnipiac University in August, 2020. She spent six years in the Army reserves and has an extensive background in hospice and home health nursing. Alicia has been involved with program development in the inpatient and outpatient settings. She has been certified in hospice and palliative care for 25 years. She began teaching full time at Husson University in 2017 and has been active in board service for three local health care systems.
In addition to those serving in officer positions, the 2026 HPCC Board of Directors is comprised of:
- Susan Cox, RN, MSN, CHPN®
- Danielle Digennaro, MSN, ANP-BC, ACHPN®
- Joseph Ebberwein, MPS
- Lawrence Fabrey, PhD
- Sara Revier, APRN, CNS-BC, ACHPN®
- Becca Snyder, MN, APRN, AGPNP-BC, ACHPN®
- April Walter, MS, MBAHM, ACACNP-BC, ACHPN®