Elizabeth Pitorak Memorial Tributes

Elizabeth Ford Pitorak, MSN, CSN, FPCN, founded what is today Hospice of the Western Reserve, the first hospice in Ohio’s Western Reserve region.

Ms. Pitorak is locally, nationally, and internationally recognized as a pioneer and expert in the hospice field. She worked in the field of hospice and pain management for over 35 years, giving lectures to multidisciplinary groups and publishing articles on end-of-life nursing. Ms. Pitorak served on both the membership and foundation Boards of Directors of the Hospice & Palliative Nurses Association. She also traveled to South Korea and Slovakia to teach hospice and palliative care philosophy.

Ms. Pitorak received her bachelor’s degree from the Ohio State University and her master’s degree in nursing from Case Western Reserve University. She was the project director for Project Safe Conduct, which received the 2002 Circle of Life Award for its innovative model of palliative care, as well as the 2002 Award of Excellence in Education from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. In 2014, Ms. Pitorak was honored as one of 100 Nurse Transformers by the Ohio State Nursing Alumni Association.

Her many accolades also include:

• The Award for Excellence from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing Alumni Association
• The Distinguished Alumni Award from the Ohio State University College of Nursing Alumni Society.
• The Shirley Gullo Creative Spirit Award from the Oncology Nurse Society’s Cleveland Chapter
• The HPNA Leading the Way Award
• The HPNA Distinguished Career Achievement Award
  

Today, Hospice of the Western Reserve is one of the largest nonprofit hospice agencies in the United States. Following her career at Hospice of the Western Reserve, Ms. Pitorak expanded her life work as the Executive Director and founder of Pathways for Pets, a palliative care and hospice program with the mission to relieve suffering and promote quality of life for companion animals facing a life-limiting illness. Using the human hospice model, the same principles are being applied to companion animals in creating pet hospice, a relatively new program for animals.

Ms. Pitorak was an excellent teacher, mentor and advocate. We are grateful for her numerous contributions to hospice care and for her vision and resolve for a better model of care for those with advanced illness.
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Hospice of the Western Reserve honors Elizabeth Pitorak’s vision with its ongoing commitment to providing exceptional care for patients and their families.

If you prefer to donate by check, make payable to: 

Hospice of the Western Reserve

IMO Elizabeth Pitorak

P.O. Box 72101

Cleveland, OH 44197-9935