12-Stop Workshop Tour: The Reviews Are In!

December 8, 2016

In September, we embarked on an ambitious Fall Tour to bring the “Who’s Your Agent? Workshop for Care Providers” to hundreds of care professionals across the Commonwealth.  We traveled from Western Mass to Cape Cod to provide the Who’s Your Agent? Program and Tool Kits to community professionals, clergy and lay leaders, and health care providers from “Primary Care to Hospice Care”.

Our goal was to arm all care professionals with a common, unified health care planning language and set of Massachusetts planning tools to actively engage adults in health care planning discussions at every phase of health.

Over 500 care providers attended the workshops to enhance their health care planning knowledge and sharpen their communication skills.  We learned invaluable first-hand information about their best practices and everyday challenges. Each stop of the tour provided a welcome environment to network with fellow providers to build a strong continuum of care in their regional communities.

Here are just some of the comments we heard the 12-Stop Tour:

Western MA: The Train-the-Trainer workshop and the tool kits were exceptional … in educating our patients using the same language across the continuum of care.  Having the standardized presentations, guides, and webcast to share across our Health System was invaluable.”-Jodi Kashouh, MS, RN-BC, CNL, Coordinator, Western MA Transitions in Care Cross Continuum sponsored by Baystate Medical Center.

Worcester: “The “5 Things to Talk About with Patients and Clients” discussion guide is revolutionary.”- Suzana Makoski, MD, Co-Chief of Palliative Care, UMass Memorial Healthcare.

Metrowest: “We are getting such wonderful feedback from our staff who attended the workshops, and look forward to getting the remaining Life Care Managers into a training soon.” –Kate Granigan, LICSW, C-ASWCM, COO LifeCare Advocates LLC.

North Shore: “Our staff is now well trained to reach out to seniors and adults with disabilities.” –Scott Trenti, Executive Director, Seniorcare Inc., and Greater North Shore Link, Board Member.

South Shore: “This is key information for all seniors to enhance healthy living and make informed choices for care.” –Colleen Ferguson, Executive Director, Village at Proprietors Green, Marshfield.

Burlington, Lahey Cancer Services:  “The  Honoring Choices tools work seamlessly with palliative care in walking with our patients all through their life’s journey”- Elizabeth J. Collins, MD, Palliative Care Medical Director, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center.

Cape Cod: “We all tried doing our own thing. Now we are working together and using the correct information and consumer-friendly tools.” Tina Soares, BSN, RN, CHPN,VNA of Cape Cod/ Cape Cod Healthcare; Leads a 52-Member Task Force on the Cape & Islands.

 We are so grateful to all who attended for sharing their expertise and for an insightful exchange of ideas. Your suggestions will guide our 2017 goals to provide added tools and strategies to support your work in the community.

A special thanks to our incredible co-hosts for generously providing a powerful networking and learning experience for their fellow Partners:

Alliance Partners Train-the-Trainer Class for Champions Co-Hosts-

  • Eastern MA: Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, Burlington.
  • Western MA: Western MA Transitions in Care Cross Continuum, sponsored by Baystate Health, Holyoke.
  • Cape Cod: Cape Cod Healthcare, Hyannis. Special thanks to Tina Soares for presenting the workshop.

Community Partners Regional Workshops Co-Hosts-  

  • Metrowest-Greater Boston Partners: Emerson Hospital, Concord.
  • Worcester Partners:  Briarwood Community & Bright Star Care, Worcester.
  • South Shore Partners:  The Village at Proprietors Green, Marshfield.
  • North Shore Partners:  SeniorCare,Inc., Gloucester.
  • Cape Cod Task Force/Partners:  Cape Cod Healthcare, Hyannis.
  • Lahey Health Oncology & Palliative Care Workshop,   Lahey Health Cancer Services, Burlington.
  • Atrius Health “Who’s Your Agent? Workshop for Care Management Team.
  • Mass Home Care Workshop, 2016 Conference “Post Acute Care Discovered!”, Boxborough.
  • IORA Health, “Primary Care: Taking the Lead for Lifelong Health Care Planning Discussions.”

Lastly, our thanks to Suzette Naylor, Berkshire AHEC for helping us provide CE Credits.