Ottawa, ON. (November 12, 2025) – Saint Elizabeth Foundation and Pallium Canada are proud to announce a new national partnership to expand access to equitable palliative care across the country.
Together, Saint Elizabeth Foundation and Pallium Canada will strengthen palliative care education to ensure it better reflects the realities faced by many Canadians experiencing housing instability, incarceration, rural isolation, or systemic barriers to care. Central to this partnership is the co-development of a new national Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care (LEAP) Equity course. Building on Pallium’s award-winning LEAP curriculum, the course will equip health and social-care professionals, particularly those working in community-based and low-resource settings, with the knowledge, skills, and tools to deliver equitable, compassionate, and person-centred palliative care for vulnerable and underserved populations across Canada.
“Our work together is just beginning,” said Nancy Lefebre, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Nursing Executive, Senior Vice President at SE Health. “Collaborating with Pallium on these crucial education pieces will help us to reach so many professionals looking to offer care through a more equitable lens. As a social enterprise that has continuously delivered care since 1908, we are committed to strengthening our reputation, in conjunction with Pallium, as the go-to organizations for end-of-life care for vulnerable populations and continuing to transform how healthcare is delivered to those who need it most.”
This partnership represents an important step toward the long-term sustainability of palliative care education throughout the country. It will support continued advocacy and the delivery of programs that promote compassionate care for structurally vulnerable populations, including individuals facing homelessness, mental health challenges, and substance use.
“Improving access to equitable palliative care is one of the most important challenges facing our health system,” says Jeffrey Moat, CEO of Pallium Canada. “Through this exciting partnership with Saint Elizabeth Foundation, we are taking concrete steps to expand access to care for people and communities across Canada. Our organizations share a belief in the power of education and collaboration to strengthen palliative care, and together we are building the momentum needed to make compassionate, equitable palliative care accessible to all.”
This initiative builds on Saint Elizabeth Foundation’s launch of a National Centre for Equity and Innovation in End-of-Life Care in June, and Pallium Canada’s ongoing efforts to expand national palliative care education. Together, the organizations aim to create a joint national model for palliative care learning that is tailored to the needs of individuals who are often excluded from traditional healthcare systems.
For more information, please contact:
For Pallium Canada
Georgina Dunn
Digital Marketing and Communications Manager
gdunn@pallium.ca
(343) 803-4634
For Saint Elizabeth Foundation
Laura Sellon
Community Engagement & Communications Specialist
laurasellon@sehc.com
(343) 803-4634
About Pallium Canada
Pallium Canada is a Canadian, registered charitable organization focused on building professional and community capacity to help improve the quality and accessibility of palliative care in Canada. With over twenty-five years of experience and over 70,000 learners reached, Pallium Canada has become the largest palliative care education provider for health systems and health care organizations across Canada, with broad experience and expertise working with partners to implement large-scale regional and provincial capacity-building initiatives.
About The Saint Elizabeth Foundation
The Saint Elizabeth Foundation is the charitable arm of SE Health, Canada’s largest healthcare enterprise, and is committed to improving the quality of life for vulnerable populations by funding and supporting programs that address complex health and social issues. Journey Home Hospice, a program of the Foundation, is the first of its kind in Canada, providing compassionate, specialized care for individuals experiencing homelessness or structural vulnerabilities. Learn more at foundation.sehc.com or find us on Facebook @SaintElizabethFoundation or LinkedIn @SaintElizabethFoundation
Back