Steve Mooney, Executive Director of Skirball Hospice.
Steve joined LAJHealth in September of 2024. He brought his 24 years of hospice experience to the department, with a focus on customer service and quality of care.
Steve began his hospice journey as a community liaison serving the Phoenix area educating physicians and hospitals on Medicare hospice benefits. When his career began, there was much misinformation about hospice and a false belief that hospice care took place only during the last three days of one’s life. What captivated Steve about hospice is that it’s a heart driven service for a seriously ill population nobody wanted to talk about. For many, there is a fear of the end of life. Steve was comfortable breaking the bad news regarding the end of life when nobody else, even the physicians, could discuss it.
Having grown up in the South, specifically Memphis, Tennessee, Steve explains that it was common for folks to talk about the latest obituaries or who was on the prayer list at church as they sat around the dinner table. This was the case for Steve’s grandparents, with whom he grew up in his family home until their passing. He learned a great deal during these formative years as he cared for them daily, including helping them dress, toileting, preparing meals and helping them with medications and nebulizers. As they transitioned to their next journey, he was present at the bedside at an early age.
Caring for the seriously ill and giving the gift of hospice is what drives Steve each day. He continued his journey, serving as Business Development, Executive Director, CEO and Vice President of Operations. For Steve, it’s not about the titles, it’s about serving others and giving caring hands at the end-of-life.
Steve holds a BA and an MBA in Business Management Healthcare. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force, having served in Presidential security. He worked in hospice at a national level at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) Regulatory Board and MYNHPCO, chairing the finance and IT selection. In his off time, Steve enjoys serving in his church, hiking and spending time at the beach. He has a lovely wife, Amy, three sons, and four grandchildren.