This book was produced as a companion to the Hospice Foundation of America's third annual teleconference. The Foundation, begun in 1982, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing leadership in the development of hospice and its philosophy of care for terminally ill people.

The Foundation conducts educational programs related to hospice, sponsors research on ethical questions as well as the economics of health care at the end-of-life, and serves as a philanthropic presence within the national hospice community.

Close to 90 percent of hospices in the United States reach beyond their own patients and families to become, in a variety of ways, a community resource on grief and bereavement. That is part of the hospice mission and an important service which the Hospice Foundation of America encourages and tries to support. Our annual teleconference is a major part of our effort and it, like all of our projects, is largely underwritten by contributions from individuals.

The Hospice Foundation of America is a member of the Combined Federal Campaign through Health Charities of America.