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Director

John Carney

In December 2011, John G. Carney, MEd, became the second President and CEO of the Center for Practical Bioethics, succeeding the founding director who had held the position since the organization’s inception in 1984. His previous commitment to the Center’s work was well established having served as Vice President of the organization from mid-2004 to late 2010, focusing his work primarily on improving shared decision making for patients and families and care for those in the final chapters of life.

John’s dedication to those on the edges of life spans three decades. He devoted his early career in the 1980s-2000s to the development of hospice and palliative care in Kansas and throughout the Midwest, serving in executive positions at the provider and state association levels. His policy and advocacy work in the areas of aging advanced illness and advanced care planning includes executive leadership positions at the state and national association levels as well. His passionate voice advocating for families facing difficult healthcare decisions has been heard in rural communities, town halls, and national forums from coast to coast.

In 2008, John co-authored a report to Congress on Advance Care Planning and worked with the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health on improving end-of-life care for all Americans. During the early 2000s, he served in leadership roles at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and directed education programs for America’s Health insurance. He has also been recognized for his leadership in executive management of small healthcare organizations. In 2017, he coordinated a years-long project examining perspectives on advance care planning, palliative care, and end of life among Catholics in the US with support from The Pew Charitable Trusts.

He holds an undergraduate degree in philosophy from Newman University (Wichita, KS) and a Master’s from Wichita State University.