Raise Your Voice: Build an Equitable, Responsive MA Serious Illness Care-POLST Program

Massachusetts is upgrading from MOLST, Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, to an effective, comprehensive POLST Program, Portable Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. Recently Governor Baker signed a bill that authorizes the Executive Office of Elder Affairs to led the POLST upgrade by adopting the National POLST model and building a MA POLST Program and registry. The State POLST team has made stakeholder engagement a top priority. The MA Coalition for Serious Illness Care’s MOLST to POLST Advisory Group will develop messaging, tools and training to ensure consumers and care providers have effective care planning conversations to know and honor patient choices in any care setting. Thanks to all and the  HCM Partners who have collectively been working on improvements since 2013.

We have been collecting feedback, since 2013, on the MOLST program’s deep challenges and consumers and care providers suggestions on how to build a responsive, equitable serious illness care program. We have a a good amount of information on what is needed, but now’s a great time to contribute your expertise and lived experiences.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!  It’s quick and easy to do.  Go to the Honoring Choices Serious Illness Webpage. You’ll find helpful information and tools and a COMMENT BOX just under POLST section.

Here are some other resources:

• National POLST– Visit the website;  MA State Reps are Erik Fromme, MD, Ariadne Labs, Christine McMichael, Hospice & Palliative Fed of MA; and Ellen DiPaola, Honoring Choices MA.
• MA Coalition for Serious Illness Care., MOLST to POLST Advisory Group;  co-chairs Erik Fromme and Ellen DiPaola; Jane Kavanaugh, Director.