NASW Foundation National Programs

NASW Social Work Pioneers^®

Samira K. Beckwith

Samira K. Beckwith received her BA in Sociology and MSW from Ohio State University. She received a CC from the Harvard Business School and is enrolled at the University of Integrative for her Ph.D. Ms. Beckwith has nearly 30 years' experience in professional health and social care. She served as a Gubernatorial appointee to the Florida State's Long-Term Care Policy Council, where she helped provide direction to the State Office of Long-Term Care Policy, which focused on providing the most cost- effective, community based services for Florida's elderly.

When Ms. Beck joined Hope Hospice of Southwest Florida, Inc., Fort Myers, Florida, in the early 1980s as President and Chief Executive Officer, the agency operated out of a storefront with closet-sized offices, serving a handful of patients in the immediate area.  Hope Hospice cared for more than 5,000 people through a variety of services and covers an area of almost 10,000 miles square miles. Her entrepreneurial spirit was recognized by the Lee County, Florida Development Board when Hope Hospice was presented with their Horizon Award, for its "exceptional level of leadership, innovation, investment and community involvement."

All entrepreneurs envision a good return on their investment. Ms. Beckwith, the epitome of the social entrepreneur, has invested herself in caring for others and the return has come in the form of a dramatic improvement of the quality of life in her community. Ms Beckwith's formula for success has been her social worker's passion blended with an uncommon level of business discipline and administrative acumen. Each of the care program she has created is rooted in serving each person as an individual, with their own needs and preferences.

Hope Hospice provides comfort and support to approximately 900 people per day who are facing a lie-limiting illness. Services are provided regardless of the person's ability to pay.
Ms. Beckwith has been the driving force behind the construction of three hospice houses in Florida, funded through capital campaigns and the Industrial Development Authority:

• Hope Hospice House at HealthPark, Fort Myers-$7 million, 16 care suites.
• Hope Hospice House in Cape Coral- $10 million, 36 care suites.
• Joanne's House at Hope Hospice in Bonita Springs- $12 million, 24 Care suites.

Hope Life Care, Long Term Care Division, a Medicaid Waiver program, conceived, designed and implemented by Ms. Beckwith, is an alternative to being placed in a nursing home facility. Hope Life Care provides services to those who do not have a life-threatening illness but do need support in their daily lives. Hope Hospice was the first hospice in the country to offer this kind of program.

In 2006, Ms. Beckwith responded to a request from the Area Agency on Aging to provide care services to the frail elderly residing mainly in the rural areas. Through Hope Connections, more than 200 people receive personal care, meal delivery, housekeeping assistance, counseling and additional services each day.

Ms. Beckwith's concept of care extends well beyond the patient and immediate Family. The Pathways of Hope bereavement counseling program provides support groups, psychotherapy, crisis management and community education. Pathways also provides grief support to schools, businesses, law enforcement, health care professionals and other community organizations.

Ms. Beckwith assumed a leadership role in the Hope Child and Teen Care activities, a program that encompasses the services of Hope Hospice, Pathways of Hope and Partners in Care-Together for Kids (PIC-TFK), a state-sponsored program that partners with healthcare organizations to provide medical, emotional, spiritual and support for children and their families. It enables children who have potentially life-limiting conditions to benefit from Hope's palliative care services without being enrolled in hospice.

Ms. Beckwith also utilized her passion, insights and professional skills in the development, organization and implementation of the Rainbow Trails Bereavement Camp for assisting children in coping with the death of a loved one.

In 2004 she was elected to the position of National Director of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), the oldest and largest non­profit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs in the United States. As National Director, she focused her attention on public policy, education, diversity, cultural issues and better access to care. Over the past 25 years, she has held a number of executive positions with NHPOC. She also served as a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the National Hospice Foundation. She also served for some ten years on NHPCO's Task Force on Access to Hospice Care by Minority Groups. Her contributions to the success of the Task Force's accomplishments were spectacular relative to the Arab culture and other diverse population groups.

Ms. Beckwith is a frequent participant in national health policy forums and has provided expert testimony before government bodies including the US House Judiciary Committee. She serves on the Board of Investors' Security Trust. She is a member of the Florida Gulf Coast University's Social Work Advisory Board and is a Trustee Member of the Chamber of Southwest Florida. She is also an Executive Board Member of the Southwest Florida Council of the
Boy Scouts of America, and a member of the Rotary Club of Fort Myers.

She has received the following awards in recognition of her stellar entrepreneurial accomplishments:

In 2000, Ms. Beckwith was named one of Eckerd's Top 100 Women in the United States.

The Gulfshore Life Magazine's Woman of the Year Award in 2004 as Well as recipient of the Rotary Club of Fort Myers' Paul Harris Fellow Award.

The Junior Achievement award of Southwest Florida as a laureate of the 2005 Lee County Business Leadership Hall of Frame, based on her "entrepreneurial achievements, status as a role model for youth and business peers and accomplishments as a community leader."

Ms. Beckwith's outstanding achievements have been responsible for Hope Hospice to receive numerous national awards for quality services and innovations. These include the American Hospital Association's Circle of Life Award, the American Pharmacist's Association Foundation's Pinnacle Award and the National Hospice Organizations Heart of Hospice Award.