Month: December 2010

At the White House: ACA Implementation—An Opportunity to Advance Palliative Care

During my year as AAHPM President, I’ve had many opportunities to represent the Academy and have often been on Capitol Hill, looking to expand access to palliative care through the public policy process. On Dec. 17, the Obama administration held a meeting with community physicians at the White House to seek input about implementation of … Read moreAt the White House: ACA Implementation—An Opportunity to Advance Palliative Care

Innovations in quality improvement: help spread the word!

JPSM has announced a new call for brief reports explaining the results of quality improvement initiatives in palliative care. JPSM associate editor David Casarett and members of the AAHPM Quality Task Force were puzzled by the dearth of good information about what quality improvement innovations programs are finding successful. They realized that there aren’t many … Read moreInnovations in quality improvement: help spread the word!

The Evolving Role of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Leadership

As hospices and palliative care services evolve into advanced palliative care organizations with greater scope and influence over late-life care within their communities, a “new” physician executive role is emerging along the career path for HPM physicians. This role is broader than the traditional senior medical director or chief medical officer positions, and is progressing toward what we refer to as the “chief community palliative care officer”.

HPNA/AAHPM Collaboration for Annual Assembly

For the past 6 years, AAHPM and HPNA have collaborated to provide an annual conference for members of the interdisciplinary team. As we would expect, the outcomes have improved annually. Last year’s conference in Boston, recorded the highest attendance, the most satisfied attendees and highest rating for presenters. Is it possible to improve? With any … Read moreHPNA/AAHPM Collaboration for Annual Assembly

“What the heck is CMSS and why should I care?”

You may be asking yourself, “What the heck is CMSS and why should I care?” While I knew that this stands for Council of Medical Specialty Societies, I attended their recent annual meeting with less than a full appreciation of what this is and why it matters to us doing Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Afterwards, I have a much better understanding. Sitting through various presentations that included slides predicting not just political ‘fireworks’ in the coming year, but political ‘nuclear explosions.’

AAHPM’s First RFS Representative’s Perspective on AMA Interim Meeting

My name is Devon Fletcher. I’m a Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health Systems in Richmond, VA. I recently had the opportunity to attend the American Medical Association’s Interim Meeting in San Diego this November as the AMA’s first ever AAHPM representative to the Resident and Fellow Section (RFS). I’d … Read moreAAHPM’s First RFS Representative’s Perspective on AMA Interim Meeting

Happy 100th Anniversary, PC-FACS

The 100th issue of PC-FACS, an AAHPM signature service, represents a milestone. Celebrating this century issue, Editor-in-Chief Amy Abernethy commented on trends in palliative care since the digest’s inception. Read the 100th issue of PC-FACS. (1) Increasing acceptance of palliative care as a discipline. The palliative care philosophy now extends into diverse settings including mainstream … Read moreHappy 100th Anniversary, PC-FACS

Concurrent Palliative Care-Peace of Mind in the Setting of an Uncertain Prognosis; Part 1

This post is Part 1 of a multi-part series. Concurrent Palliative Care – Peace of mind in the setting of an uncertain prognosis Jean S. Kutner, MD, MSPH   I was in Asheville, N.C. for a professional meeting when I received a call from a medicine resident at our hospital saying that she was transferring … Read moreConcurrent Palliative Care-Peace of Mind in the Setting of an Uncertain Prognosis; Part 1