Mary Schumacher, of Wellington, for services to palliative care
Mary Schumacher is the Chief Executive of Hospice New Zealand. Under her leadership, many high-impact pieces of work have influenced the development of palliative care and end-of-life care for New Zealanders. She regularly represents hospice and palliative care at a national level on groups such as CANGO, the Palliative Care Advisory Group and the Cancer Control Council. She has led negotiations with government to ensure hospice care remains free of charge. She was Chief Executive Officer at Mary Potter Hospice, Wellington before moving to the national role. She is a Board Member of the Sisters of Compassion – Home of Compassion and has helped the organisation to extend their services to Horowhenua and Upper Hutt. Ms Schumacher also supports community groups such as The Aunties and Dementia Wellington.