March 2010

This year with a new track for Peds. Join us in Phoenix, AZ at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort from October 21-23, 2010.

Palliative Care: Transforming the Care of Serious Illness is due for release April 1, 2010. The book begins with a comprehensive review of the field, written by Dr. Meier, and includes twenty-five of the most important articles in the field written by leading experts. This book is intended as an introduction and guide to palliative care, and more broadly, the medical care of the seriously ill.

CAPC recently convened a consensus panel to develop recommendations for key domains palliative care programs should track. In this month's issue of the Journal of Palliative Medicine, David E. Weissman, MD, R. Sean Morrison, MD, and Diane E. Meier, MD provide consensus recommendations on collecting and reporting outcomes relative to clinical and customer metrics. The clinical metrics include daily assessment of physical/ psychological/ spiritual symptoms using a symptom assessment tool; establishment of patient-centered goals of care; support to patient/family caregivers; and management of transitions across care sites. Programs also should track patient/family satisfaction and referring clinician satisfaction to determine customer service outcomes. Learn more

Readers may also be interested in:
Meier, DE, Lim B, Carlso MDA. Raising the Standard: Palliative Care in Nursing Homes. Health Affairs, 29, no. 1 (2010): 136-140.

Adler ED, Goldfinger JZ, Kalman J, Park ME, Meier DE. Palliative care in the treatment of advanced heart failure. Circulation 2009; 120:2597-606.

Palliative care programs are becoming the community standard for care in California private and public hospitals. The California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) spoke with hospital leaders from various types of hospitals across the state to gain insights into how palliative care programs work, how they can be implemented, and what kind of results to expect. In addition to cost-savings data, the report features candid discussions with administrators, physicians, and nurses about their experiences starting up and fine-tuning palliative care programs, and gaining the support of in-house champions. Read the report, Creating a Palliative Care Program: Insights from Hospital Leaders.

Governor David A. Paterson on, February 24, 2010, announced passage of the Family Health Care Decisions Act (FHCDA). The FHCDA allows family members to make health care decisions, including decisions about the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, on behalf of patients who lose their ability to make such decisions and have not prepared advance directives regarding their wishes. Learn More

The Regence Foundation recently awarded $302,200 to 10 hospitals in Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington to support hospital-based palliative care programs.  Hospitals will use the funds to either plan a new program or expand an existing program. The Foundation aims to foster best practices, leadership and collaboration that help people with life-threatening and incurable illness to access quality palliative care in their own community. Learn More

The Collaborative to Advance Funding for Palliative Care (CAFPAC) has launched www.FundPalCare.org as part of a new initiative to share palliative care grantmaking concepts and success stories, and to stimulate higher levels of funding in palliative care. CAFPAC is a growing group of funders, from across the U.S., who are committed to advancing funding for PalCare. CAFPAC also provides a Snapshot Report of original research on the state of palliative care philanthropy in the U.S. from over a two-year period. Learn More

On January 28, the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brookings Institution hosted, "Health Care Reform and Older Americans: Achieving Better Chronic Care at Lower Costs," a forum to discuss strategies for improving care for older Americans across a range of institutional and community-based settings. Diane E. Meier, MD joined a panel of experts and key stakeholders to examine the components of health care reform most likely to influence the care this population receives. Watch the video.

Funded by The Foundation of Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, the Children's Institute for Pain and Palliative Care (CIPPC) is offering two competitive scholarships to applicants from developing countries. This 2-week International Scholarship includes: travel; accommodations and meals; 100% course tuition for the Pediatric Pain Master Class, Minneapolis, MN, USA (June 12-18, 2010); a one-week clinical practicum (June 7-11, 2010) with the Pain and Palliative Care team; on-going mentorship. Applications due on March 15, 2010. Contact Bridget McMahon at CIPPC@childrensmn.org or call (+1) 612-813-6450.

Early Access to Palliative Care: Active Learning Through Live Case Studies
April 30, 2010
8:00-5:00 PM Pacific
IHI is offering an innovative opportunity to learn from organizations that excel at providing patients early access to palliative and supportive care.  In this unique one-day program, a small group of participants will join in "Live Case Studies" onsite at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, and Everett Clinic in Everett, Washington, and then engage in in-depth review with expert faculty who will help distill key lessons that can be applied to your home organization. Learn more

CAPC is partnering with NHPCO for NHPCO's National Conference on Developing the Care Continuum: Innovative Models to Meet the Unique Care Needs of Patients/Families. The conference will be held August 5-7, 2010 in Boston, MA.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Morphine Sulfate Oral Solution. In the spring of 2009, the FDA announced that it was ordering manufacturers to stop making the medication, as well as several other opioid medications that were developed so long ago they did not have FDA approval. After a huge outcry from CAPC, AAHPM, HPNA and NHPCO, the FDA reversed their decision. They agreed to keep morphine sulfate oral solution on the market in the 20 milligrams per 1 mL concentration until there was an approved version or an equivalent therapy. Roxane Laboratories, the only FDA approved manufacturer of morphine sulfate oral solution, reports that they are now able to cover all patient needs with their current inventory and production. Learn More

The Campaign for Better Care is seeking stories that illustrate the ways the health care system is failing vulnerable older adults with multiple chronic conditions and their family caregivers. The Campaign, led by the National Partnership for Women & Families, is a sustained effort to build a lasting and powerful consumer voice by mobilizing older adults and their families as activists for better care. Learn more and access the story form.

As of January 1, 2010, new rules were put in place for Medicare billing. Of particular importance is the elimination of the consultation codes. All CAPC technical assistance and products, including Billing Tools and the Billing and Coding e-Learning course have been updated. View a summary of key changes here. A detailed list of changes can also be found here.

The work of the National Consensus Project began in 2002 and a NCP Task Force representing the four Coalition organizations [American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), (Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA), National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO)] developed and disseminated two very successful versions of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care (2004 and 2009). In 2007, the NCP Task Force became a formal subcommittee of the Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition (HPCC). The NCP will remain as a sub-committee of the HPCC and plans a revision of the guidelines no later than 2013. HPNA will continue to be retained as the Administrative Home of the NCP guidelines to maintain the NCP website, NCP records, and respond to any NCP inquiries in a timely manner.

Visit Tools for Palliative Care Programs for a collection of technical assistance materials assembled by CAPC to assist in designing, strengthening, and maintaining palliative care programs. A few of the latest tools include:

• 2010 CMS Billing Changes
• Template Order Forms: Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)

Make sure your program is counted! Over 500 programs have already participated. The National Palliative Care Registry^TM is the only repository for national data depicting the operational features of hospital palliative care programs. Your participation will help develop operational standards and demonstrate the reach and impact of the field. Go to Registry

If you have a question, or an answer, post it on CAPC's online discussion forum. The forum is a free resource for health care professionals who want to share information, exchange ideas, and get advice from their colleagues on operational issues affecting their palliative care programs. It is moderated by CAPC faculty.

Join the Center to Advance Palliative Care on Facebook. Follow Diane E. Meier, MD on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dianeemeier as she reports from her post with the Senate HELP Committee in Washington, DC. Watch CAPC videos on YouTube for palliative care insights and key messages.

CAPC online courses offer a variety of CME/CE leadership and management courses. Courses include: Consultation Etiquette; Marketing for Palliative Care Programs; Education Techniques in Palliative Care; Organizational Change. Courses are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Enroll now. Visit CAPC Campus Online^TM.

PCLC provides intensive, customized operational training and yearlong mentoring for palliative care programs at every stage of development and growth. View the 2010 PCLC calendar online.

As part of its continued efforts to improve New York State's health care system, the New York State Health Foundation has awarded CAPC a grant to help New York state hospitals develop, strengthen and grow strong palliative care programs. New York State hospitals, and hospices with an established hospital palliative care program partnership, are eligible to enroll at no cost for CAPC technical assistance. Space is limited. Funding is currently available for:

• CAPC Audio Conferences
• CAPC Campus Online^TM CME/CE Courses
• CAPC National Level I / II Seminar (Registration Opens March 2010)
• Palliative Care Leadership Centers^TM (PCLC)

Learn more

Incorporating Palliative Care Services into Long Term Care Settings
Thursday, March 25, 2010
1:30-2:30 PM Eastern

Update on Billing and Coding Practices for Palliative Care Services
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
1:30-2:30 PM Eastern

Pediatric Palliative Care
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
1:30-2:30 PM Eastern

The Palliative Care/Critical Care Nexus
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
1:30-2:30 PM Eastern

The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 28, 2010, A look at the new field of palliative care by Michael Vitez

MSNBC.com, February 24, 2010, An American cry for help by Keith Olberman

Aging Well, February 2010, Advance Care Planning: Why It Matters to You by Diane E. Meier, MD

Advance for Nurses, February 10, 2010 Two Worlds Unite by Ainsley Maloney Di Duca

health AGEnda, The John A. Hartford Foundation Blog, February 2, 2010 Solving Chronic Care at Brookings, Part II, by Amy Berman

US Food & Drug Administration, January 26, 2010 FDA Approves Morphine Sulfate Oral Solution for Relief of Acute and Chronic Pain, press release

Los Angeles Times, January 22, 2010 Choices at the End of Life, by Lisa Zamosky

The Huffington Post, January 15, 2010 Palliative Care Needs a Positive Spin, by Dr. Elaine Schattner

R&D Magazine, January 15, 2010, Roundtable discussion highlights vital role for palliative care in health-care reform

Meier, DE, Lim B, Carlso MDA. Raising the Standard: Palliative Care in Nursing Homes. Health Affairs, 29, no. 1 (2010): 136-140.

Adler ED, Goldfinger JZ, Kalman J, Park ME, Meier DE. Palliative care in the treatment of advanced heart failure. Circulation 2009; 120:2597-606.

New York Times, November 22, 2009 End-of-Life Planning and the House Health Bill, letter to the editor by Carol Sieger