October 2006

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.



USA Today Looks at End-of-Life Care… The October 19 edition of USA Today feature article, “Debate surrounds end-of-life health care costs,” looked at different costs found in different regions of the United States. Visit the USA Today Web site to read this article. [Note: NHPCO did not contribute to this article].

It’s About How You LIVE – At Work launching Nov. ‘06…Caring Connections has developed a comprehensive workplace initiative called It’s About How You LIVE – At Work.  Resources for employers and employees (also for hospices, coalitions and LIVE partners) related to a range of end-of-life issues include:

·         It’s About How You LIVE – At Work: Employer’s Guide to End-of-Life Care Programs and Policies – Information, resources and templates employers can use to enhance or build their end-of-life work-life initiatives.  Available for purchase.

·         It’s About How You LIVE – At Work brochures for managers and employees – individual copies available for free download on www.caringinfo.org and for purchase in NHPCO’s Marketplace.

·         It’s About How You LIVE – At Work: Outreach Guide – FREE resource for hospice providers, coalitions and LIVE partners to reach out and educate local employers.  Will be available soon on www.LIVEpartners.org and in CD-ROM format.

Caring Connections will send a special email announcement next month to all LIVE Partners regarding specific details about how you can purchase and receive the It’s About How You LIVE-At Work resources listed above. 

JAMA Reviews Bill Colby’s Unplugged… The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a very positive review of Bill Colby’s Unplugged: Reclaiming Our Right to Die in America and describes Unplugged as “…a necessary book… clearly written, engrossing, and understandable by all.”  The full review is available in the October 4, 2006 issue (See “Book and Media Reviews”).  Unplugged is available through NHPCO’s Marketplace, and more information on Bill’s book and national speaking tour schedule is available at www.caringinfo.org/Colby.

Hospice Month Begins in November… NHPCO and Caring Connections remind all members to access the materials in the 2006-2007 Outreach Kit. Helpful resources include:

·         Suggested PSA Scripts – send these to local radio stations to read on the air;

·         Hospice Sabbath Service – a suggested service that’s a special way to celebrate the spirituality inherent in hospice and palliative care;

·         A Proclamation – have local officials sign a Hospice/Palliative Care Month proclamation to draw attention to the important work being done;

·         Latino Outreach Guide – Caring Connections has created a guide with advice to reaching Latino and Hispanic populations.

Additional materials include creative ideas from members, articles to help with physician outreach, a collection of professionally designed ad slicks, PowerPoint presentations and more.  Members will find the link for the Outreach materials at the top of the Communications page, www.nhpco.org/communications.

New Initiative to Provide Advance Care Directives to Ethnically and Culturally Diverse Communities…United Health Foundation, Aging with Dignity, the American Hospital Association and NHPCO are working to help eliminate language barriers to end-of-life decision-making for individuals within ethnically and culturally diverse communities nationwide.  Read the news release issued over PRNewswire for more information on this important outreach effort.

December 1st is World AIDS Day… Hospices, coalitions and LIVE partners can demonstrate their community involvement by joining with local AIDS service providers, HIV/AIDS support groups, churches, and other health care providers in supporting their events.  Suggested activities include setting up a booth at a local AIDS event and enabling staff and volunteers to volunteer at such events.  Need more ideas?  There are a number of great Web sites offering information and resources:

NCDE Online Course on Professional Issues…The National Center for Death Education, Mount Ida College, in collaboration with NHPCO, will be offering an online course, Drawing Lines in the Sand: Professional Issues in End of Life and Bereavement Work, November 13 - December 15, 2006 (class skips Thanksgiving week), with faculty Carol Wogrin, PsyD, RN, NCDE Director. [Note: Carol is the former director of the Massachusetts Commission on End-of-Life Care.]  For more information, visit www.mountida.edu/ncde or call NCDE at 617/928-4649. 

NHPCO Seeks Your Input on Professional Education… Keep your eyes out for NHPCO’s Professional Education Needs Assessment survey.  This bi-annual assessment helps NHPCO keep pulse with the education and professional development needs of members across the country and ensures that we plan conferences, Audio Web Seminars, online courses and other educational opportunities that will meet your needs. Please participate! It will take only a few minutes of your time, and it will make all the difference in the education NHPCO offers its members in 2007-08.  

Save the Dates for 2007 NHPCO Conferences!

  • 22nd Management and Leadership Conference, April 19-21, 2007, Washington, DC
  • Special Topic Conference: Caring for Mind, Body and Spirit:  Psychological, Bereavement and Spiritual Needs at the End of Life, July 30 - August 1, 2007, Albuquerque, NM
  • 8th Clinical Team Conference, November 29 - December 1, 2007, New Orleans, LA

Congratulations to New LIVE Sustaining Partners…and job well done! Three LIVE Partners have earned over 1,000 LIVE points through the LIVE Rewards Program to become LIVE Sustaining Partners!

  • Hospice of Lake Cumberland (Laura Kamperman), Somerset, KY - 3725 points
  • Hospice of Hope (Pam Tribby), Maysville, KY - 3000 points
  • Project Compassion (James Brooks), Chapel Hill, NC - 2370 Points.

LIVE Partners who document their LIVE Campaign outreach efforts using the LIVE Rewards form will receive a $25 gift card to NHPCO’s Marketplace for every 250 points earned.  Caring Connections encourages all LIVE Partners to participate in the LIVE Rewards Program.  It is a great way to receive FREE Caring Connections consumer educational material and It’s About How You LIVE promotional items to distribute in your community!

If your hospice or coalition has news and/or resources that you would like to include in “Connections”, please contact Ashley Hammarth at ahammarth@nhpco.org.

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