May 2007 

Welcome to Connections.  The current edition of Connections and archives of previous editions are located in the ‘What’s New’ section of www.LIVEpartners.org.  Please forward this e-newsletter to your staff, coalition members and other organizational partners using the 'forward a friend' prompt at the bottom.

Coalition on National Advance Directive Day Meeting June 4… NHPCO and several LIVE partners will be participating in an initial planning meeting of a coalition of organizations exploring opportunities for a national advance directive day in 2008.  Led by the organizers of the successful Virginia Advance Directive Day, the group is in the early organizing phases.  Watch future issues of Connections for updates on this exciting initiative. 

Minority Population Tops 100 Million… Data released by the US Census Bureau found that the minority population in the US has passed the 100 million mark; meaning that roughly 1 in 3 US residents is a minority.  How does your program’s census match up to the demographics of your community?   NHPCO and Caring Connections have resources such as the Latino Outreach Guide to help members reach communities historically underserved by hospice. More resources are on their way, including an Inclusion and Access Toolbox, and a Chinese-American Outreach Guide.

New Satellite Radio Station Features Noted Guests… Satellite radio listeners can now tune into ReachMD XM 233, a channel dedicated to medical professionals.  The station will be programming several episodes intended to educate the broader medical community about excellent end-of-life care.   Guests on the show include Bill Colby, Dr. Stephen Connor, Dr. Diane Meier, Dr. Timothy Quill, Dr. Barry Baines, Dr. Pauline Chen and Dr. Fredrick Abrams.   Visit the ReachMD Web site for more information.

Learn What’s New with Pediatrics… The Children’s Project on Pediatric Palliative/Hospice Services (ChiPPS) recently published e-newsletter includes six articles on perinatal loss, from both the provider and the family perspective.  Frequently asked questions and resources for professionals and community members are also included.  Access the current and previous issues of the ChiPPS e-newsletter online at www.nhpco.org/pediatrics.  To receive the ChiPPS e-newsletter, sign up at http://www.nhpco.org/i4a/forms/form.cfm?id=123.

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day and Voices for Hospices set for October 6, 2007… The first Saturday in October is set for World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) as well as the semi-annual event Voices for Hospices. WHPCD is a unified day of action to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care around the world. Voices for Hospices is a global musical marathon event with organizers expecting more than 500 concerts around the world. Looking for ways your organization can get involved? Visit WHPCD's site www.worldday.org and the Voices for Hospices site www.voicesforhospices.org for further information, planning tips, outreach materials and more.

Outreach Survey – Tell Us What You Want!… NHPCO is eager to hear what you thought about the 2006 Fall Outreach Guide as we begin development of the 2007 Guide.  Please look for the recent email with a link to the brief online survey which went to all provider members and coalitions.  If you received an email notification of the survey, please complete it by Friday, June 1, 2007 (or forward it to the person in charge of your community outreach to complete).  Your input is extremely valuable and will help us prepare for NHPCO’s 2007 Outreach Guide.  If you have any questions or would like more information about the outreach guide survey, please contact Helen Ennis at hennis@nhpco.org.

Bill Colby's Third Op-ed Available … “Remembering Baby Emilio” is the third installment of Caring Connections’ media outreach initiative with NHPCO Senior Fellow Bill Colby and is available for you to pitch to your local newspaper. An adapted version of the article was featured in the Austin American-Statesman this week.  The article highlights the tragic case from Texas of Emilio Gonzales to illustrate the limits of the law in dealing with the moral and emotional questions at the end of life, and to encourage conversations about these issues within families and communities.  All of Bill Colby’s articles from Caring Connections are available for you to use at www.LIVEpartners.org (under ‘What’s New’). 

It’s About How You LIVE – at Work Resources… Caring Connections has the following resources available that your hospice or coalition can use to help employers plan and implement programs and policies to address end-of-life issues:

  • It’s About How You LIVE – At Work: An Employer’s Guide to End-of-Life Programs and Policies Employer’s Guide (available for purchase in June ’07 at www.nhpco.org/marketplace)  
  • It’s About How You LIVE — at Work:  Educational Brochures (seven work-related brochures are available to view at www.caringinfo.org and purchase at www.nhpco.org/marketplace)
  • It’s About How You LIVE – At Work: Outreach Guide (available for hospice providers, coalitions and LIVE partners to download for free at www.livepartners.org in June ’07)

For more information, contact liveatwork@nhpco.org or call 1.800.658.8898.

New Legal Guide available... A Guide to Legal Issues in Life-Limiting Conditions, written by the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA) is now available online in the ‘Resources’ section of Caring Connections’ Web site, www.caringinfo.org.  Along with the guide, Caring Connections has added the following flyers developed in partnership with AHLA: We All Need to Plan for the Future; Long Term Care Options; Choosing A Long Term Care Facility; Choosing An Independent Living Arrangement; and Settling Into A Long Term Care Facility.

*Look Out!...LIVEpartners.org will soon be merging with caringinfo.org.  Stay tuned.

NHPCO’s Special Topics Conference: Caring for the Mind, Body and Spirit, July 30 - August 2, 2007, Albuquerque, NM… Join NHPCO in beautiful and rustic Albuquerque, New Mexico for this important conference that will offer educational sessions focused on psychosocial, bereavement and spiritual needs at the end of life.  There will be opportunities for you to meet colleagues to share your successes and challenges and have time to reflect upon the meaning, value and purpose of the work you do. To preview the educational program and to register, visit www.nhpco.org/pbs2007.   

Save the Date for POLST… Join leaders from across the country for a full-day Preconference Seminar at NHPCO’s Clinical Team Conference to learn how to implement an out-of-hospital DNR program in your state or region.  Translating Patients’ Wishes into Medical Orders: The POLST Paradigm will be held on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 in New Orleans, LA, and hosted by Caring Connections.  More information about this free seminar will be available soon at www.nhpco.org/ctc2007. Also, for more information about the POLST paradigm, go to www.polst.org.

Early Bird Registration for NHPCO’s Clinical Team Conference, November 30-December 1, 2007, New Orleans, LA… Early bird registration for the 8th annual Clinical Team Conference, Scientific Symposium and Facility-Based Hospice Forum: Purpose, Passion, Performance ends July 31. For more information and to register, visit www.nhpco.org/ctc2007. 

The Montgomery County Coalition on End-of-Life Care partnered with 36 organizations on April 19, 2007 to launch their first Advance Directives Day in Montgomery County, Maryland.  The coalition included Latino, Korean, and Jewish members and developed relationships with the Chinese, Vietnamese, and deaf communities.  More than 250 people attended 7 advance directive sessions at senior centers and hospitals, and more than 2,000 advance directives were distributed in English and six other languages at information tables at assisted living and health care facilities.  For more information or to download Maryland’s advance directives in seven languages, visit www.mccelc.org.

If you have community engagement resources that you would like to include in “Connections,” please contact Ashley Hammarth at ahammarth@nhpco.org.

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