Sara Dado BSW, MSW, LCSW
Executive Director
Illinois Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Sara is currently serving in a dual role as Executive Director at both The HAP Foundation and the Illinois Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (IL-HPCO). She has over 20 years of experience in various leadership positions across the health care continuum.  Prior to her current roles, Sara served as the Senior Director of Clinical Programs at Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care, where she was responsible for daily operational oversight of multiple clinical departments and was instrumental in the development of the agency’s Palliative Care and Pediatric program growth.  In addition, Sara led several key strategic projects, including Direct Contracting, Value Based Insurance Design contracts and the introduction and implementation of remote patient monitoring.  Prior to joining Lightways, Sara served as the Chief Compliance Officer and Executive Director at Transitions Care, where she was responsible for the oversight of daily operations and compliance for a multi-state post-acute care organization.

Sara is the immediate past chair of the Illinois Hospice Government Affairs Committee where she led advocacy efforts in the passage of several key pieces of legislation to support improvements to quality and access to end-of-life care for all ages across the state.  She is a 4-time state of Illinois Delegate Leader in Washington DC, leading teams of advocates both in Springfield and on Capitol Hill.  Sara is a nationally recognized speaker and expert on a variety of topics including quality improvements to end-of-life care, how to reduce barriers to conversations on goals of care and advance care planning. Sara has held several keyboard and committee positions, including the Illinois Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, The Greater Illinois Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Steering Committee and Leading Age Clinical Advisory Committee.