Amy Berman, BSN, LHD

Amy Berman, BSN, LHD, a senior program officer with the John A. Hartford Foundation in NYC, is best known for publicly sharing her experiences living with Stage IV (terminal) breast cancer. She authored numerous pieces about value in health care decisions, palliative care, and implications for patients, practice and policy. Berman gave invited testimony to the Senate Special Committee on Aging on the care of the seriously ill. She also has presented at the Institute of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health and served on faculty for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services training of Accountable Care Organizations. Her piece in Health Affairs, Living Life In My Own Way—And Dying That Way As Well, was among the most read in the history of the journal. She’s been featured in the New York Times, authored pieces and been featured in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, POLITICO, on NPR’s Diane Rehm Show, CBS Evening News and CBS Sunday Morning, and is a nationally-recognized speaker. At the John A. Hartford Foundation, Ms. Berman, a nurse, leads the Foundation’s investments in cost-effective models of care that improve the health of older adults, including national efforts to address palliative care and transitions from the hospital to home. She spearheaded collaborations with federal partners including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Ms. Berman is the recipient of numerous honors for her advocacy on behalf of those facing serious illness including the Presidential Citation from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, the Presidential Award from the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, Award for Outstanding Public Engagement in Health Policy from the American Political Science Association, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Gerontological Nursing Association, and the Civitas Award from the American Academy of Nursing. In 2012, the international honor society of nursing, Sigma Theta Tau, established the annual Amy J. Berman Geriatric Nurse Leadership Award. She holds degrees in Public Health and Healthcare Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Nursing from New York University, and a Doctorate of Letters from Quinnipiac University.