NewsLine - May 2012 - (Page 1)

The Monthly Membership Publication of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization May 2012 Between Floors With a Significant Decision Maker? Be Prepared With the Right Elevator Pitch By Stephen A. Leedy, MD, FAAHPM, and Kathleen Pacurar “D ying is easy, comedy is hard” is an old acting maxim that anyone who has ever tried to get laughs while on stage knows to be true. Noted humor columnist and celebrated hospice patient Art Buchwald (2006) put his own big-city spin on the comment when he warned visitors to his Washington, DC hospice house that “dying is easy, parking is impossible.” Those of us who work in the field of hospice and palliative care can also imagine our own version: “Dying is easy, getting people to talk about dying is almost impossible.” Of course, dying isn’t at all easy, but it can certainly be made easier by the care that we provide. However, getting people to talk about dying (and about hospice) is another matter. Mr. Buchwald summarized the predicament nicely when he said, “Because hospice deals with death, people tend not to talk about Inside it.” He was being too nice. In our experience, most people—including many of our congressional Virtual Volunteer Conference Monday, July 30th, is the start of a weeklong, action-packed skills-building event for representatives—avoid the conversation hospice volunteer leaders and their volunteers—which they can attend right from at all costs. their office or home desktop. It boasts live-broadcast plenaries, learning sessions, IGNITE! sessions, poster presentations, real-time networking, and even time with exhibitors in a virtual exhibit hall. This article provides all the details. Short Takes: • ‘LIVE Without Pain’ Public Campaign • ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ at Seasons Hospice • NHPCO Reg Center—Redesigned! • MedicAlert Launches ACP Service continued on next page Hospice CEOs on Partnering What are the attributes of an exceptional partner? How can we develop these attributes in a way that fosters partnerships within the entire healthcare continuum? Linda Beushausen, the president/CEO of Hospice at Home and vice president of Life Transitions and Advance Healthcare Planning at Lakeland HealthCare, speaks to this very issue, with input from other members of the NCHPP CEO/Executive Director/ President Steering Committee. A Message From Don Regulatory Tip of the Month New Buyer’s Guide FHSSA Newsletter Perspective From a Longstanding Transitions Provider Hospice of the Valley, based in San Jose, California, launched a Transitions Program in 2004. Learn about its eight-year experience firsthand.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NewsLine - May 2012

Be Prepared With the Right Elevator Pitch
A Message From Don
Virtual Volunteer Leadership Conference
Experience the ACHC Difference (display ad)
The Voice of NCHPP
Taking Hospice Partnerships to the Next Level
NCHPP CEO Section Free Benefits
Custom-Print Marketplace (display ad)
The Transitions Program at Hospice of the Valley
LIVE Without Pain Public Awareness Campaign
‘Tuesdays With Morrie’ at Seasons Hospice
NHPCO Reg Center—Redesigned
MedicAlert Launches ACP Service
Regulatory Tip of the Month
New Buyer’s Guide
Videos Worth Watching
NHPCO Resource Links to Bookmark
News From FHSSA

NewsLine - May 2012