Benjamin Franklin once said only two things are certain ─ death and taxes. More than 100 professional and community organizations worked in partnership across New York state to increase conversations and promote awareness of the importance of advance care planning by hosting events to make the 2nd annual National Healthcare Decisions Day a huge success.
National Healthcare Decisions Day is a national grassroots effort to promote advance care planning that is being held annually on April 16, the day after tax filing day. All Americans are encouraged to start their conversation and take steps to ensure that their health care choices are known and shared.
The Medical Society of the State of New York, the New York State Bar Association, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield and more than 100 other collaborators from across the state formed the NHDD New York State Coalition and championed National Healthcare Decisions Day to pursue three goals.
First: To encourage everyone to select a spokesperson, have a conversation with their family and health care provider about what is important to them and complete a Health Care Proxy form.
Second: To increase awareness of MOLST (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) Program in the community.
The Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) Program, New York State’s Physician’s Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Paradigm Program, is designed to improve the quality of care seriously ill patients receive at the end of life. It is based on effective communication of patient wishes, documentation of medical orders on a brightly colored pink form and a promise by health care professionals to honor these wishes.
The MOLST form is a bright pink document that patients with advanced chronic illness and frailty complete with their doctor. The form then stays with them so end-of-life preferences will be followed as they move through the health care system ─ facility to facility, physician to physician.
Third: To ensure passage this year of the Family Health Care Decisions Act. This proposed legislation is so sensible that most New Yorkers might assume such a law exists. It would expand the authority of family members and others close to the patient to decide about treatment ─ including life-sustaining treatment ─ for loved ones who can no longer decide for themselves and do not have a health care proxy.
Most people are shocked to learn that currently they do not have the power to make health care decisions for their next of kin. The proposed law would also provide the most comprehensive policies in the nation for patients who do not have family or friends who are able or willing to decide about treatment on their behalf. Many patient safeguards are built into the proposal.
Presentations on advance care planning and the MOLST Program were offered to professionals, employees and the community. In addition, information was provided across the state in health care facilities, health fairs, senior centers and housing, college campuses, libraries, shopping malls and the workplace. Media coverage, Web site visibility and social networking extended the reach to the public at large. Several notable activities are worth highlighting:
The Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) and Excellus BlueCross BlueShield launched a public education campaign about advance care planning. New MSSNY Public Service Announcements (PSAs) on advance care planning were produced and released to television stations across New York State.
The CompassionAndSupport.org Web site was revised to host and highlight the PSAs. The new Compassion And Support Video Library houses all videos on the Web site.
Excellus BCBS partnered with the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) on the revision of the Advance Care Planning booklet to include the MOLST Program and the “Five Easy Steps.” The co-branded edition of the ACP booklet is distributed by the NYSBA and resides on the NYSBA Web site.
New York State Office for the Aging Director Michael Burgess distributed educational resources on Community Conversations on Compassionate Care with “Five Easy Steps” to complete a health care proxy, the Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) Program and the CompassionAndSupport.org Web site to county Offices for the Aging.
A “Take Action” button was added to the home page of CompassionAndSupport.org Web site with a direct link to the Advocacy page to highlight the need for the passage of Family Health Care Decisions Act in 2009. A link to the MSSNY Grassroots Action Center allows readers to send a letter supporting Family Health Care Decisions Act to their New York State legislators.
With passage of Family Health Care Decisions Act in 2009, the National Healthcare Decisions Day New York State Coalition will have accomplished one of its major goals!
Patricia Bomba, MD, FACP, is Vice President and Medical Director/Geriatrics for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield and Chair of the NHDD New York State Coalition.