AURORA, Colo. – Carey Candrian, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, has been selected by the Cambia Health Foundation to participate in the Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program. 

The program identifies, cultivates, and advances the next generation of palliative care leaders and Candrian is one of 12 selected for this year’s program. 

Each scholar receives a two-year, $180,000 grant ($90,000 per year during a two-year period) to conduct an innovative and impactful project tied to a leadership development plan that positions the scholar for growth as a national leader. Scholars also receive one-to-one mentoring from an established palliative care leader and targeted training on key leadership skills. 

Among those named scholars are faculty members at Johns Hopkins University, the University of California San Francisco, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and Children’s National Health System. 

“We are excited to support the development of these emerging leaders and enhance their expertise so that they can influence health care system change,” said Peggy Maguire, president and board chair, Cambia Health Foundation.  “These palliative care professionals demonstrate that care is better when we focus on what matters to people instead of what’s the matter with them.  We hope their leadership will influence compassionate, person-focused care throughout the system.” 

Candrian’s project is focused on communications guidelines to improve the quality of hospice admission interactions. Her research will include a special focus on the LGBT population, which has been identified as an at-risk population. 

“My vision is focused on innovative ways to impact the way information about end of life care options is shared and delivered to patients and those who care for them via communication interventions,” Candrian said. “I am dedicated to a career in the field of palliative care focusing on effecting and leading change on a communication and policy level so that LGBT individuals can access high quality hospice and palliative care that aligns with their needs. Through the support of this award, I will be able to develop leadership skills in policy, ethics, and advocacy in order to ensure that the needs of LGBT individuals are understood and met as they transition to end of life care.” 

To learn more about the individual scholars, please visit the Sojourns Scholar page on the Cambia Health Foundation website. 

The Cambia Health Foundation launched the Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program in 2014 with the goal of advancing capacity, leadership and innovation in the field of palliative care. The Foundation’s purposeful investment in palliative care leadership supports a larger vision of a transformed health care system that is more compassionate and person-focused.  Since the program started, Cambia has awarded more than $9 million to 52 scholars around the country, each focused on different areas of palliative care, but all committed to improving the experience of people facing serious illness and their caregivers.