Dr. Gloria Thomas Anderson is the Founder of the “Let’s Talk About ACP” Program and serves as the ACP Program Lead at the Center for Practical Bioethics. She drives transformative initiatives in the $85 billion Advanced Care Planning (ACP) sector, focusing on hospice, palliative care, and advancing health equity by addressing socio-economic disparities in healthcare.

With 17 years of experience as a university-level social work professor, Dr. Anderson is a licensed social worker, author, minister, and expert in advance care planning. She holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction as well as Educational Leadership, Policy, and Foundations. Her research interests include healthcare equity, spirituality, and culturally responsive end-of-life care.

Dr. Anderson developed the “Let’s Talk About ACP” Program to engage and educate African Americans about advance care planning and end-of-life preparation. This national initiative employs a train-the-trainer model, empowering certified facilitators to lead workshops within faith-based and community organizations. By embedding community ownership into the process, the program focuses on “Goals of Care Conversations” to advance health equity and ensure that care aligns with community values.

Through her leadership, Dr. Anderson continues to innovate and expand ACP, creating culturally sensitive, equity-focused tools and programs that improve care outcomes and address the needs of diverse communities.

Her scholarly work includes peer-reviewed chapters on spirituality, featured in the award- winning Womanish Black Girls: Women Resisting the Contradictions of Silence and Voice (2019) and The Palgrave Handbook of Workplace Spirituality (2018). Her book, The African- American Spiritual and Ethical Guide to End-of-Life Care: What Y’all Gon’ Do with Me?, now in its 9th edition, has been recognized as a CDC-recommended resource for advance care planning.

Dr. Anderson’s national and international reputation is reflected in her presentations and research at prestigious conferences such as the Research Association of Minority Professors (RAMP), the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME), and the National Council of Black Studies (NCBS). She is also a sought-after speaker, featured in national telecasts, training videos, and has appeared on radio and television shows, including NPR affiliate Kansas City Public Radio (KCUR), Kansas City PBS (KCPT), and e-Care Diary.

For additional information, please refer to the Curriculum Vitae.