KEARNEYSVILLE — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS), traveled to Kearneysville, where she participated in the events celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Hospice of the Panhandle’s Kearneysville campus.
Capito first visited the campus in 2015 where she spoke in recognition of Hospice of the Panhandle’s 35th Anniversary.
“Hospice and palliative care is a very personal issue to me, and I have long advocated for the support organizations need to do their work efficiently and address the workforce challenges they face,” Capito said. “Hospice of the Panhandle has been a champion of hospice and palliative care in our state, and the growth they have fostered here in Kearneysville has allowed them to expand their reach and provide important services to West Virginians and their families who need it the most. While much change has occurred since the opening of this campus, the top-notch service that Hospice of the Panhandle provides has remained the same.”
“Senator Capito is one of our strongest advocates on Capitol Hill,” Hospice of the Panhandle CEO Nikki Bigiarelli, said. “She has been such a friend and an ally for so many years! And not just for Hospice of the Panhandle, but for the entire Hospice network throughout West Virginia, and really, the nation. We are thrilled that she was able to join our staff and volunteers, family members and friends, to celebrate our 10thanniversary on this campus.”
As a former caregiver, Capito has long-championed research initiatives for diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia, and advocated for support towards hospice and palliative care and their workforce. As the Labor-HHS Ranking Member, Capito recently secured resources that help increase Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias research and for palliative care research within National Institute on Aging.
Additionally, Capito has been a leader on the legislative front in this field, introducing the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA). This bipartisan legislation would bolster the palliative care and hospice workforce and meet the growing need for care by investing in training, education and research.