AAHPM and HPNA members and staff are getting excited for the 2011 Annual Assembly in beautiful Vancouver. As you may remember, last year, we posted our favorite dining out spots in Boston. Now we would like to know, those of you from or who have visited Vancouver, what do you recommend? Leave a comment and … Read moreEating Out and Activities in Vancouver
This is Part 2 of a multi-part series.
Approximately 1 week into her ICU stay, when my mom wasn’t making any progress on ventilator weaning, I was called by the palliative care team asking if they should “formally” consult. They had been visiting daily but not officially consulting – introducing themselves as “Jean’s friends” – who happened to be from palliative care. The ICU attending had tacitly agreed to the consult, telling the palliative care team, “whatever Jean wants”. My initial reaction was no, we didn’t need that, we knew that she potentially could have a poor outcome and were talking openly about it. If anything, I told the palliative care team, my dad needed a ray of hope, not a discussion about the “what if’s”. It was an eye-opening moment for me – to consider the “meaning” of requesting an official palliative care consult and to confront my own perceptions and biases, despite intellectually knowing better. Was I falling into the same “it’s not time yet” mindset that frustrates us so frequently as palliative care professionals? Why would making it “official” be any different from the daily visits that the team was already doing? How would my dad and my siblings perceive my request for an “official” palliative care consult? Would they think that I had “given up” by recommending a palliative care consult? Why didn’t I trust what we do so well in palliative care – starting with assessing the patient (if able) and family understanding of the current situation and addressing identified needs? Why couldn’t palliative care be as much about “hoping for the best” as it is about “planning for the worst”? I told the palliative care team that they needed to “hit me over the head” if I was in denial or not thinking rationally about this clearly reasonable request.
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
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!
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”.
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
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.’
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
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
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