Our Beginnings

The Supportive Care Coalition was founded in 1994 by three Catholic healthcare systems in the Pacific Northwest. From our beginnings, we have sought to lead the way in advancing excellence in palliative care through national advocacy, interprofessional education, spiritual care excellence, and the integration of Catholic teachings and ethical principles into palliative care practice.

Initially called Supportive Care of the Dying: A Coalition for Compassionate Care, the Coalition partnered in research and project development with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Last Acts National Advisory Council, and the Public Broadcasting Service to highlight the state of dying in the United States during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.

In 1997, with six healthcare system members, the Coalition established its first Board of Directors and opened membership to Catholic healthcare systems across the United States. Since that time, Coalition membership has continued to grow, even amidst the unprecedented changes in healthcare over the last decade. In 2005, the Coalition changed its name to the Supportive Care Coalition to better reflect our alignment with the growing palliative care movement. In 2021 the Coalition Board of Directors unanimously voted to become a part of the Catholic Health Association (CHA).

Under the leadership of and in collaboration with the Catholic Health Association, we continue to advance excellence in palliative care practice through innovative program designs, commitment to fully staffed interdisciplinary teams, unflagging attention to the poor and marginalized, faithfulness to the inherent dignity of each human life, and a deep belief in the sacred nature of the ministry of palliative care. In alignment with the strategic goals of CHA, we anticipate expanding access to palliative care and end of life services throughout Catholic healthcare as part of our shared efforts to reduce health inequities and reverse the effects of systemic racism in the communities we serve.