It's the year of the ICU, and there's a new track for Peds! Join us in Phoenix, AZ at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort, October 21-23, 2010. The seminar will feature a lively poster session. Learn how you can submit your abstract for display and discussion. Register now for the CAPC National Seminar!

CAPC has launched IPAL-ICU—a new project to improve palliative care in the ICU. In a major national initiative, IPAL-ICU provides a hub of shared expertise, evidence, tools and resources for ICU palliative care. Developed by multi-disciplinary leaders in the fields of both critical care and palliative care, and supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging, IPAL-ICU will provide clinicians across disciplines with the practical tools, resources and technical assistance they need to successfully integrate palliative care with intensive care. To access IPAL-ICU, go to www.capc.org/ipal-icu.

The End of Life/Palliative Care Education Resource Center (EPERC) and the Harvard Medical School Center for Palliative Care (HMS CPC) have announced, the new Palliative Care Faculty Development Program. Medical schools and/or teaching hospitals affiliated with a medical school are invited to apply. Each of the three chosen sites will receive a $21,500 award to support faculty development and more. Applications due August 13, 2010. Find out how you can apply.

Between now and 2012 physicians can sit for the ABMS exam without having to complete a 12-month fellowship. The next American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) hospice and palliative medicine certification exam is scheduled for November 16, 2010. You can prepare by taking the new HPM PASS, a 150-question online practice test. Developed by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), it's designed to simulate the board certification exam and help you assess your understanding of hospice and palliative medicine. AAHPM designates this educational activity for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. Learn more.

The American Cancer Society and the National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC) have awarded $1.8 million in research grants to researchers at 12 institutions. Research will aim at reducing suffering for seriously ill patients and their family caregivers. The studies will be conducted over the next two years. 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 Circle of Life Award: Celebrating Innovation in Palliative and End-of-Life Care is presented annually to honor organizations striving to improve the care provided to patients with life-threatening conditions or near the end of life. In 2011, up to three organizations will win Circle of Life Awards; additional organizations may receive Citations of Honor. 2011 nominations are due August 9, 2010. Learn More.

The Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity program just announced its 10th Cohort of Scholars & Fellows. Eight Claire M. Fagin postdoctoral Fellows will each receive $120,000 and eleven predoctoral scholars will receive a scholarship of $100,000. 2011-2013 application information will be available June 1, 2010. Learn about the 2010-2012 Scholars and Fellows.

Palliative Care: Transforming the Care of Serious Illness is a must-have reference tool. 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. Available on Jossey-bass.com, save 20% until July 31, with coupon code: WXXZF. Or purchase through Amazon.com, BN.com, or the NHPCO Marketplace.

Readers may also be interested in, The Treatment Trap, How the Overuse of Medical Care Is Wrecking Your Health and What You Can Do to Prevent It by Rosemary Gibson and Janardan Prasad Singh.

United States hospitals continue to implement palliative care programs at a rapid pace, according to a new analysis by the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) and the National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC) released earlier this spring. Researchers report that the number of programs in US hospitals with 50 or more beds increased from 658 (24.5%) to 1,486 (58.5%)—a 125.8% increase from 2000-2008. Read the report.

The Collaborative to Advance Funding for Palliative Care (CAFPAC) provides a Snapshot Report of original research on the state of palliative care philanthropy in the U.S. over a two-year period. You can view the report on FundPalCare.org, a new initiative to share palliative care grantmaking concepts and success stories, and to stimulate higher levels of funding in palliative care. Learn More.

In the May 2010 issue of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) released a position statement on palliative sedation. While palliative sedation is still widely misunderstood, this position statement and commentary aims to clarify key points. Read the statement.

The FDA will be hosting a public meeting on July 22 and 23 regarding Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) for extended-release and long-acting opioid analgesics. Learn More.

The FDA will be hosting another public meeting concerning REMS on July 27 and 28 about the general REMS process, not specific to the opioid REMS process. Learn More.

Please consider attending these meetings or submitting written comments.

Developing the Care Continuum:
Innovative Models to Meet the Unique Care Needs of Patients/Families
August 5-7, 2010 | Boston, MA
CAPC is partnering with NHPCO for NHPCO's National Conference, Developing the Care Continuum. The conference will examine innovative care delivery and coordination models, lessons learned from providers who have expanded services, and strategies for making decisions to expand care. Learn more.

July 22-24 | San Diego, CA
The Health Forum and American Hospital Association will host the Leadership Summit for hospital executives and clinical leaders. CAPC advisors, Lynn Spragens, MBA and David Weissman, MD will present "Disruptive Innovation: Leveraging Palliative Care for the Quality/Cost Sweet Spot."

Breathing Easier: Palliative Care and Advanced Pulmonary Disease
September 17-18, 2010 | Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Hilton
The forum is designed to provide best practices to professionals caring for those with respiratory, life-limiting illnesses. The forum promotes active learning through a unique blend of interaction, participation, and networking with nursing professionals from around the country. Learn more.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), in collaboration with the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), is offering a new interactive, web-based program to teach health professionals how to their improve communication skills when discussing the implementation or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments. Learn more.

December 3, 2010
Co-sponsored by the Wurzweiler School of Social Work-Yeshiva University and the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network. Details will follow in the early fall.

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

• Using Metrics to Grow Your Palliative Care Program
• CAPC Consensus Metrics - Self-Assessment Tools
• Palliative Care Grantmaking Snapshot Report

The National Palliative Care Registry^TM is the ONLY collection of operational data for hospital palliative care programs. Your participation is vital to evaluating standard practices. As of January 1, 2011, only programs that participate in the registry will be listed in the www.GetPalliativeCare.org Provider Directory. Go to Registry.

Access CAPCconnect^TM to post your questions or ideas. The CAPC online discussion 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.

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 e-Learning Courses
• CAPC National Seminar
• Palliative Care Leadership Centers^TM (PCLC)

Learn more

How to Use Social Media to Advance Palliative Care
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
1:30-2:30 PM Eastern
Featured Speaker:
Christian Sinclair, MD, FAAHPM
Associate Medical Director
Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care
Board Member, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
Co-editor, Pallimed: A Hospice and Palliative Medicine Blog
Kansas City, MO

Special Summer Presentation.
Special Discounted Price: $45.00

CAPC Campus Online^TM offers a variety of CME/CE leadership and management courses that will make a difference to your professional development. Join the hundreds that have enrolled. 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. $35 per course, per student. Learn more and enroll.

Palliative Care Leadership Centers^TM (PCLC) provides intensive, customized operational training and yearlong mentoring for both start-up and established programs. You can choose the training date and location that's right for you. PCLC is sponsored by the Center to Advance Palliative Care. Sessions fill quickly. Please register early. View the calendar online for training dates.

Virtual Mentor, American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, Available Online July 1, 2010, Pediatric Palliative Care

Medscape Today, June 1, 2010, Preventing Heart Failure Readmissions: Is Your Organization Prepared? By Patricia A. Hines; Kevin Yu; Michael Randall

Modern Healthcare.com, May 31, 2010 Easing their Pain. Palliative Care Grows Despite Reimbursement Issues, by Jennifer Lubell (subscription required)

Kaiser Health News, May 10, 2010 New Law Could Help Hospice Patients Continue Aggressive Medical Treatments, by Jordan Rau

Parade, April 25, 2010 One Last Magical Evening, by Gail Sheehy

Medscape, April 20, 2010 Palliative Care Programs Continue to Increase in American Hospitals, by Roxanne Nelson

Democracy Now!, March 24, 2010 Palliative Care Pioneer Dr. Diane Meier on How People Struggle with Serious, Sometimes Terminal, Illness

Palliative Care: Transforming the Care of Serious Illness by Diane E. Meier, MD

The Treatment Trap, How the Overuse of Medical Care Is Wrecking Your Health and What You Can Do to Prevent It by Rosemary Gibson and Janardan Prasad Singh

KevinMD.com, June 17, 2010 Why cancer screening is not a black or white decision by Shantanu Nundy, MD

KevinMD.com, June 1, 2010 Nurse practitioners, doctors, and the lost art of diagnosis by Lucy Hornstein, MD

The Health Care Blog, May 28, 2010 Support for Berwick to Head Medicare Grows By Maggie Mahar

AAHPM Blog, Diane Meier Is Working for You on Policy

Geri-Pal, A Geriatrics and Palliative Care Blog, Maintaining Relationships: Stop Using the Words 'Terminal', 'Dying', 'Hospice', 'Advance Directives' and 'Bereavement' that Push Others Away, by Patrice Villars

The New Health Dialogue, March 3, 2010 This Is Why We Need Palliative Care, by Joanne Kenen

Join the Center to Advance Palliative Care on Facebook. Follow CAPC (@CAPCpalliative) and Diane E. Meier, MD (@DianeEMeier) on Twitter as she reports from her post with the Senate HELP Committee in Washington, DC. Watch CAPC videos on YouTube for palliative care insights.

Don't forget to listen in to: How to Use Social Media to Advance Palliative Care
Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 1:30-2:30 PM Eastern