Message from the Chair
&
Executive Director
Kathleen M. Foley, MD (USA)
Liliana De Lima, MHA (USA)
Dear readers:
We hope that this New Year brings happiness, peace and health to all of you and your loved ones. We are looking ahead to 2006 and we are eager to continue to work and help in the promotion and dissemination of hospice and palliative care around the globe.
We have several important announcements this month:
First, some of you may know that we recently had elections to the IAHPC Board. We had a call for nominations to our members in October, and the response was overwhelming. Fifteen excellent candidates were nominated for only six seats, and for this reason, the voting process took longer than we originally anticipated. The selection process was difficult for the Board, and we are very thankful with all the nominees and nominators who participated in this process and for their support of the organization.
The six newly elected board members are:
1. KS Chan, MD (Hong Kong) Since 1995, Doctor KS Chan has been the Consultant and Chief of Service of Pulmonary and Palliative Care Unit of Haven of Hope Hospital in Hong Kong . He graduated from the University of Hong Kong and is the senior editor of the Hong Kong Medical Journal. After receiving his medical training at the United Christian hospital in Hong Kong he spent time in the United States and the United Kingdom for further training in Pulmonary Medicine and Palliative Medicine. He is an Associate Professor at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Council member of the Asia Pacific Hospice Network, Chairman of the Hong Kong Society of Palliative Care and Board member of the Society for the promotion of Hospice Care. He is also a consultant and a member of the teaching faculty for the Li Ka Shing National Hospice Program of the Peoples' Republic of China.
2. David Currow, MD ( Australia ) Doctor Currow is currently Professor of Palliative and Supportive Services at Flinders University in South Australia and Director of the International Institute of Palliative and Supportive Studies (IIPSS) and the Southern Adelaide Palliative Services in Adelaide . He received his medical degree from the University of Newcastle and is a Foundation Fellow of the Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine and Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Professor Currow has published extensively and is currently a member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Asia Pacific Hospice Network Education Committee. He is currently Editor in Chief of Progress in Palliative Care.
3. Jacek Luczak, MD ( Poland ) Professor Luczak is the medical director of the Palliative Care Department at Hospice Palium in Poznan. Since 1990, he has been professor of palliative care/medicine at Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences. In 1987 he founded and became the medical director of the first palliative care service at the University Cancer Hospital in Poznan. He earned his medical degree in Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences in Poznan. He is part of the editorial board of Progress in Palliative Care, European Journal of Palliative Care, Bol (Pain-Polish journal) and Medycyna Paliatywna (Palliative Medicine-Polish journal). He is honorary president of the Polish Association for Palliative Care; and currently he is the Chairman of ECEPT and the President of National Council for Hospice and Specialist Palliative Care service of Ministry of Health in Poland.
4. Anne Merriman, MD ( Uganda ) Doctor Merriman is Founder and Director of Policy and International Programs at Hospice Africa in Uganda. She is also founding member and steering committee Convener of the African Palliative Care Association (APCA), Vice President of African Palliative care Association (APCA), Chairperson of the Advocacy Committee for the African Palliative Care Association and Board Member of Hospice Africa (UK) and Hospice Africa Uganda. Dr. Merriman earned her medical degree in the University College in Dublin. She has lived in India, Singapore, Kenya and Uganda working in geriatrics and palliative care. Through her efforts, she has been able to influence and promote the development of palliative care in several countries in Africa, including Uganda (where Hospice Uganda is located), Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Zambia. Dr. Merriman edited several publications, published extensively and has received numerous international awards as recognition of her hard work and successes in improving the care of patients in Africa and Asia.
5. Faith Mwangi-Powell, PhD ( Uganda ) Dr. Mwangi-Powell is currently the Director of the African Palliative Care Association. She has extensive experience in sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and palliative care and her past and current work activities include working on advocacy issues, and coordinating funding and support to programs in Asia and Africa for the development of palliative care on the continent. She earned her doctoral degree at the University of Exeter where she studied the impact of economic development upon women’s status and fertility-related behavior in rural Kenya. In addition, she holds a Certificate in health and social services management from Sheffield Hallam University and a Masters in Economic Population Policies and Programs from the University of Wales, in Cardiff.
6. Roberto Wenk, MD ( Argentina ) Dr. Wenk is one of the pioneers of palliative care in Argentina and Latin America. He is currently director of the Programa Argentino de Medicina Paliativa of the Fundacion FEMEBA in Buenos Aires. Dr. Wenk earned his medical degree from the Universidad Nacional de Rosario in Argentina and a diploma in anesthesiology from the Colegio de Médicos in Rosario, Argentina. Dr. Wenk has been fully dedicated to palliative care for more than 20 years and is a founding member of the Argentinean Association for Palliative Medicine and of the Latin American Association for Palliative Care (ALCP). He has published extensively and has been able to establish relationships with international universities to design and develop research and educational programs in Latin America. He is senior editor of the ALCP Newsletter and member of several working groups and committees.
If you want to learn more about the individuals on the IAHPC Board of Directors, click on http://www.hospicecare.com/Organisation/Org.htm#BOARD
IAHPC is a unique organization capable of helping with the promotion and development of palliative care around the World. These individuals are joining a wonderful and talented team of Board members from around the world and we look forward to working with them.
Second, during the past few days we have received several requests from members who are asking for an extension of the nomination process for the IAHPC recognition awards. Due to the busy holiday season, we have decided to extend the deadline for applications to January 15th in order to give our members the opportunity to nominate programs and individuals for the Awards. The IAHPC Recognition Awards in hospice and palliative care are given in three categories: 1)The Vittorio Ventafridda Award (for individuals), 2) Institutions and 3) Universities. If you know of a person, a university or an institution that you would like to nominate for one of these awards, please visit our Annual Recognition Awards page in our website at http://www.hospicecare.com/Awards/
Nominators must be IAHPC members. Prizes are $2,000.00 (two thousand US dollars) for each award.
Third, the end of the year also marks the expiration of the IAHPC membership for many of you. Individuals whose membership is about to expire should have received reminders by mail. If your membership expired and you have not renewed, please remember to do so. Membership dues are very important to IAHPC because they help us to continue our mission to help others. To renew your membership, please go to our website at www.hospicecare.com and click on the IAHPC Membership Join/Renew button in the links on the left.
We are glad to announce that the US Cancer Pain Relief Committee (USCPRC) has awarded IAHPC a two year grant for capacity building. We are very grateful for the support of the USCPRC and for this grant that will help our organization focus on achieving its mission and supporting the development of hospice palliative care around the world.
During the past month of December, we received many donations from individuals who gave funds to IAHPC in memory of a loved one and as a gesture of gratitude for the care that their loved ones received from hospice and palliative care providers. Many thanks to all of them for their encouragement support and help. These donations are very important to the organization as they are the reflection of how much impact we are really having at the level that matters most - patients and families.
We encourage all of you to continue collaborating with IAHPC by enrolling as members, donating funds to the organization or sending us books and journals to our Clearing House Program.
We look forward to a year full of success stories and palliative care developments from around the World.
Sincerely,
Kathy Foley, MD
Chair, Board of Directors
Liliana De Lima, MHA
Executive Director
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