March 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.

NHPCO and Caring Connections Salutes All Volunteers!...National Volunteer Week is April 15 – 21, and we would like to thank all the volunteers who serve hospice providers and end-of-life coalitions.  NHPCO offers members community outreach materials to recognize these important contributions which are available at www.nhpco.org (under ‘Communications’).  NHPCO’s Marketplace also offers a wide range of merchandise that was created for volunteer recognition at www.nhpco.org/marketplace.

New Research Shows Hospice Patients Live Longer… A new study demonstrates that patients who chose hospice care lived an average of one month longer than similar patients who did not choose hospice care. This key study, conducted by NHPCO researchers in collaboration with the highly regarded consulting firm Milliman, Inc., was published in the March 2007 issue of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management (JPSM).  Longer lengths of survival were found in four of six disease categories studied.  NHPCO encourages members to use an NHPCO press release along with the article from JPSM, available to NHPCO members in PDF, for outreach to their community.  Members may consider this announcement as permission to reprint the article and share copies to all interested parties.  The information can be used to diffuse the perception that choosing hospice shortens life.   

Caringinfo.org to be Updated in April… Caring Connections’ consumer Web site continues to reach tens of thousands of people each month and will be updated in April to be even more user-friendly.  Based on feedback from partners, providers and consumers, information on Caring Connections’ Web sites, www.caringinfo.org and www.livepartners.org, will be integrated so that consumer and community outreach materials will all be located at www.caringinfo.org.  Stay tuned for more information about these exciting changes! 

RWJF Issues Call for Proposals for New Community Health Program… The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s new initiative, New Routes to Community Health, supports local partnerships among immigrant organizations, media production centers and established community institutions to foster collaborations to improve immigrants’ health, work life and civic participation.  Up to eight grants of up to $225,000 each will be awarded in two phases.  The brief proposal deadline is May 17, 2007.  For more information, go to www.rwjf.org/cfp/newroutes.

New Articles by Bill Colby Available for Your Local Newspaper… Caring Connections is providing you with new media outreach tools written by NHPCO’s Senior Fellow Bill Colby, a nationally-known author and attorney.  Colby is producing monthly articles for Caring Connections that hospices and coalitions can place in newspapers, community magazines and newsletters.  His first piece, “"The Candidates and Margo," is available for use at www.livepartners.org (under ‘What’s New’). The article wrestles with the hard questions facing our medical system with the aging of the Baby Boomers and poses probing questions to push the debate forward. Future articles will cover a wide range of end-of-life issues facing American society today.  Colby’s next article, “Remembering Terri Schiavo,” will be available after April 16.

Advance Care Planning Outreach Guide and Ribbon Campaign… As the two year anniversary of Terri Schiavo’s death approaches and ongoing media attention focused on advance care decision-making, Caring Connections’ has updated the Advance Care Planning Ribbon Campaign and outreach materials.  To view and download the advance care planning outreach resources, visit www.livepartners.org (under ‘What’s New’).  

End-of-Life Financial Information Available at www.caringinfo.org… Caring Connections partnered with the National Endowment for Financial Education to offer practical, end-of-life financial information. The following information is available for free at www.caringinfo.org:

Online Course, Pain Management for Children in Hospice and Palliative Care, April 2-27, 2007… The National Center for Death Education, Mount Ida College, in collaboration with NHPCO, is offering an online course, Pain Management for Children in Hospice and Palliative Care, April 2- April 27, 2007.  The facilitator of the course is Susan Huff, RN, MSN, who co-chairs NHPCO’s Children's Project on Palliative/Hospice Services (ChiPPS). This 4 week online learning program is user friendly and requires no special software or advanced computer skills.  For more information and to register, visit www.mountida.edu/sp.cfm?pageid=1741.

Free Preconference Seminar at NHPCO’s 2007 Management and Leadership Conference, Wednesday, April 18, 1:00 – 4:00 pm, Washington, DC… Caring Connections is sponsoring a free half-day Preconference Seminar - “Launching a Community Caregiving Initiative to Increase Access”- to help hospices and coalitions build caregiving partnerships and support teams across neighbors, faith communities, businesses and schools. For more information and to register, go to www.nhpco.org/mlc2007.

NHPCO’s Management and Leadership Conference, April 19-21, 2007, Washington, DC… The last day to pre-register for NHPCO’s 22nd Annual Management and Leadership Conference, “Quality: A Bridge to the Future” is April 5.  Join top hospice and palliative care experts from around the country as they share their insights. For more information and to register, visit www.nhpco.org/mlc2007.       

Caring for the Mind, Body and Spirit, July 30 - August 2, 2007, Albuquerque, NM… Early-bird registration for NHPCO’s special topic conference “Caring for Mind, Body and Spirit: Psychosocial, Bereavement and Spiritual Needs at the End of Life” conference ends March 31.  Watch your mailbox for the Registration Brochure in the next few weeks.  For more information and to register, visit www.nhpco.org/pbs2007.   

Time is Running Out to Present at NHPCO’s Clinical Team Conference, November 30-December 1, New Orleans, LA… Proposal submissions are now being accepted for NHPCO's 8th Clinical Team Conference, Scientific Symposium and Facility-Based Hospice Forum: Purpose, Passion, Performance. The deadline for submission is April 9.  For more information, see visit www.nhpco.org/ctc2007. 

Congratulations to Ohio Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (OHPCO)!... Jeff Lycan, RN, President and CEO of OHPCO was selected as a recipient of the 2007 American Cancer Society Lane Adams Quality of Life Award, a prestigious national prize for cancer caring.  Under his leadership, OHPCO is being recognized for being the premiere agency for resources, education and advocacy for end-of-life care in Ohio. Twelve other individuals from around the US will also receive this award, acknowledging the differences they’ve made through innovation, leadership, and consistent excellence in providing compassionate, skilled care, and counsel to persons living with cancer and their families.  For more information about OHPCO, visit www.ohpco.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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