THE BEST POSSIBLE GOAL-CENTERED CARE AT EVERY PHASE OF HEALTH
A group of 80 professionals from primary care, senior care, the faith community, the disability community, home care, hospitals, hospice, and attorneys all gathered at the April 16 Community Networking Conference to enjoy a powerful morning of working together to create a network of coordinated goal-centered care and services for adults in their community.
The morning began with a high energy networking breakfast where participants learned about each other and the Honoring Choices mission. “Every adult in Massachusetts has rights: whether adults have the ability to direct their health care choices or have some limits to decision making ability or are incapacitated adults”, said Ellen DiPaola, Esq., Honoring Choices Massachusetts Co-Founder and President. “Everyone needs a health care plan, so each adult, their Health Care Agent or Guardian, can create a road map for the best possible care that honors an individual’s choices at every phase of health.”
The participants received the Honoring Choices ‘Who’s Your Agent?’ introductory education kit to help adults get started in making a health care plan.The kit is part of the Honoring Choices Massachusetts public education and engagement campaign to help competent adults understand and exercise their right to choose a trusted person as their Health Care Agent. The kit’s information and tools can help adults and families open the door to lifelong health care planning discussions.
Our dynamic expert panel addressed the practical challenges of coordinating care and suggested networking strategies. “The panel was terrific and helped us envision how such different groups can work together”, a participant commented. Pictured here left to right are Mary Margaret Moore, Executive Director, Independent Living Center of the North Shore & Cape Ann; Patricia M. Noga, VP Clinical Affairs, MA Hospital Association; Elizabeth J. Collins MD, Medical Director of Palliative Care, Lahey Medical Center & Hospital; Christine McMichael, Executive Director, Hospice & Palliative Care Federation of MA; Carolyn Blanks, Executive Director, MA Senior Care Foundation; Liz Garrigan Byerly, Associate Pastor,Wellesley Village Church; Kate Granigan; VP Geriatric Care Management Overlook CARE.
Participants broke into round table discussion groups by geographical region. “The regional groups had a frank and open exchange of ideas about their everyday challenges and how to build pathways to each other to coordinate care and resources”, said Kathy Hankel, RN MSN, Honoring Choices Co-Founder. The groups came back together to generate a plan for moving forward together. Major objectives included: to continue meeting regionally to keep networking; to create a uniform health care planning language across all practice areas and community groups; to bring in primary care physicians for routine and early planning discussions; and to reach out to the faith community to be an integral part of their community networks.
We thank everyone for attending and sharing their expertise and insights. Thanks to Robert Kaplan for the great photos.
We look forward to working with you all on our shared mission.