National Healthcare Decisions Day, 2009
To Members of the Health Care Quality and Cost Council and Members of the Advisory Group:
As Chairman of the End of Life Subcommittee, I am asking your help in getting the word out to all Massachusetts citizens that April 16, 2009 is National Healthcare Decisions Day. The Quality and Cost Council, at its last meeting, put it support behind this important event.
The National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) Initiative is a collaborative of national, state and community organizations committed to ensuring that all adults have the information and opportunity to communicate and document their healthcare decisions.
Several Massachusetts organizations have already come together to leverage efforts to reach out to the public. These organizations include: MA Executive Office of Elder Affairs, The Partnership for Healthcare Excellence, Evercare Hospice Palliative Care, Partners, MA Medical Society, Better Ending Partnership and the Hospice and Palliative Care Federation of MA.
This group is planning to obtain a Governor’s Proclamation that will be presented at several events. Other planned activities include: cable TV programs, radio news stories, physician columns in several newspapers, articles in Council on Aging newsletters, coverage in blogs, outreach to employers, outreach to physicians, etc.
Please join this combined effort to raise awareness about the importance of healthcare decision making. We hope that as a result of our efforts around NHDD more Massachusetts residents will have conversations with family, friends and healthcare professionals about their wishes and take necessary steps, including preparation of advance directives.
For further information about plans to publicize NHDD in Massachusetts or to join this group, please contact Marilyn Kramer at the Partnership for Healthcare Excellence (mkramer@partnershipforhealthcare.org) or Ruth Palombo at the MA Office of Executive Affairs (Ruth.Palombo@state.ma.us).
The NHDD Initiative has a website (http://www.nationalhealthcaredecisionsday.org/) with outreach materials and ideas. At the website, you can also sign up your organization and confirm your participation in this effort.
Thanks for your help on this important work. You all will be proud of the wonderful community that has come together to make this a milestone event for the Commonwealth. .
James Conway, Chairman
End of Life Subcommittee
Health Care Quality and Cost Council
This information is provided by the Health Care Quality and Cost Council.