Crossroads Hospice has chosen Lenexa as its first location in Kansas and has named hospice industry leader John Carney as executive director. Carney will oversee a staff of 40 at the new office, initially serving the greater Kansas City area including Johnson, Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Douglas and Miami counties, with plans to serve patients in Coffey, Franklin, Linn, Lyon, Osage and Shawnee counties.
Set to open in May, the Lenexa office is Crossroads' 10th location. Since opening in 1997, Crossroads has been serving Kansas patients from its office in Kansas City, Mo.
A patient advocate and policy expert on aging, hospice and end-of-life care, Carney joins Crossroads from the Center for Practical Bioethics in Kansas City, where he co-wrote a report to Congress on "Advance Care Planning in the United States."
He has worked in the nation's capital as chief operating officer for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and at America's Health Insurance Plans, where he directed education programs.
His experience also includes 15 years as president of a regional Kansas hospice company in his hometown of Wichita.
"John's long-standing commitment to serving those at the end of life, his vision for the future of hospice and his local ties make him the perfect choice to open our first Kansas office," said Janet Hessenflow, RN, executive director of Crossroads Hospice of Kansas City and the Northland. "We couldn't have found a better fit."
Carney will continue his work as a fellow at the Center for Practical Bioethics, co-directing the Kansas version of a national initiative designed to match patient advance directives and treatment preferences with physician orders, called Transportable Physician Orders for Patient Preferences.
Carney has served on Kansas City Cancer Centers' palliative care team, the advisory board of St. Luke's Hospital Hospice in Kansas City, and presented at more than 50 regional, state and national conferences on topics of end of life. He received a master's of education from Wichita State University and bachelor's degree from Newman University.
Crossroads Hospice is committed to being at the forefront of the hospice care industry, to shape the way end-of-life care is viewed and administered.
The mission of Crossroads Hospice is to provide comprehensive and compassionate hospice services to persons experiencing a life-limiting illness and to their caregivers.
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