Creating the Leading Authority for Care at Home

Challenge 

By early  2023, the home-care and hospice fields were experiencing increasing regulatory and reimbursement pressures, particularly around program integrity within the Medicare Hospice Benefit. Members of both the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) called for a more unified voice on Capitol Hill and greater value from their associations.

Although the organizations had complementary missions and nearly 90 years of combined experience, operating in parallel diluted their impact and duplicated services. The leadership of both organizations saw a unique opportunity to consolidate their efforts to better serve their members and the broader industry.

Solution

In 2024, NAHC and NHPCO established a joint steering committee and engaged McKinley Advisors to provide comprehensive guidance on the exploration of a merger of the two associations. McKinley supported the full consolidation lifecycle—from opportunity assessment to vision-setting to operational launch through:

• Program Management: McKinley created and maintained a detailed, dynamic work plan to track progress and surface roadblocks. Weekly updates ensured accountability and alignment among the executive teams.
• Facilitation & Governance Design: Through in-person retreats and virtual sessions, McKinley helped leaders navigate complex decisions about governance structures, bylaws, branding and finances. Key points of agreement were captured in a living “merger charter,” creating a single source of truth.
• Leadership Development: McKinley delivered onboarding for the newly formed Transition Board, building cohesion and aligning leaders around a shared purpose.
• Operational Integration: A phased roadmap was developed to guide the unification of technology platforms, staff, member services and dues structures while retaining essential legacy strengths.
• Communications & Change Management: McKinley helped the steering committee and leadership of NAHC and NHPCO to maintain momentum and foster trust by translating process and progress into transparent, consistent updates to members, staff and media, transforming merger curiosity into industry excitement and recruitment interest.

Outcome

In July 2024, the newly named National Alliance for Care at Home was launched, featuring a unified brand, governance model and digital presence at AllianceForCareAtHome.org.

Key Results: 

• Member Experience: Integrated 29 online communities, introduced single sign-on access, combined member resource libraries, and launched a unified “Find a Provider” tool.
• Advocacy Impact: Unified voice representing the full care-at-home continuum (including home health, hospice, palliative and personal care) allowing coordinated national policy efforts.
• Leadership and Culture: Appointed Dr. Steve Landers as inaugural CEO and formed a Transition Board that bridges both legacy organizations while operating under a shared vision.
• Growth Momentum: Surpassed early targets for member renewals, new-member interest and non-dues revenue, demonstrating market confidence.

Looking Forward

The Alliance continues to integrate operations through 2025 with priorities including harmonizing data and financial systems, launching joint quality-improvement initiatives, and advancing a research agenda to support evidence-based home care.

By combining the expertise and influence of two historic associations, the National Alliance for Care at Home is now uniquely positioned to lead the future of home-based care in the United States.