2015; Volume 16, No 4, April

Announcements

Mary Callaway awarded Presidential Citation by the American Association for Hospice & Palliative Medicine (AAHPM)

Mary Callaway speaking at the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Annual Assembly

Eric L. Krakauer, MD, PhD, a member of the IAHPC Board of Directors, pays tribute to the work of Mary Callaway, a fellow member of the Board of Directors, on her recent honor.

According to the AAHPM, Presidential Citations are awarded “to individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of hospice and palliative medicine but do not qualify for consideration in other award categories.” “Significant” does not begin to describe Mary’s enormous contributions to hospice, palliative medicine, and especially to those we serve, but I do agree that Mary’s work cannot be easily categorized. Mary is among the handful of people who have done most to respond to and relieve the unnecessary suffering of the seriously ill and dying, both in the US and worldwide. As Associate Director for the Project on Death in America (PDIA) during its entire lifespan, she made happen the combined vision of George Soros, Dr. Kathy Foley, and Dr. Susan Block for humane end-of-life care in the US. The extraordinarily rapid expansion of hospice and palliative care in the US is due in large measure to the PDIA, managed with a unique blend of prudence and passion by Mary.

For the past 12 years, Mary co-directed with Dr. Kathy Foley the Open Society Foundation’s International Palliative Care Initiative, an effort to do for low- and middle-income countries what the PDIA did in the US. For Mary, no travel schedule was too exhausting, no barrier too insurmountable, in pursuit of palliative care for the global poor. Wherever she went, she delivered encouragement, hope, and every possible resource to help local clinicians and civil society build sustainable palliative care services into their healthcare systems. She is beloved in every corner of the world. When I invited her to join me on a visit to a remote hospital in Asia for homeless people with advanced AIDS that required a two-hour, kidney-crunching, ride on rubble-strewn dirt roads, she not only did not hesitate, she seemed to think I was doing her a favor. Palliative care’s rapid advance and its expanding trajectory are due in large measure to her efforts. Whether we know it or not, all of us in hospice and palliative medicine are in her debt. Always humble and self-effacing, she certainly would deny this. But I trust she will not mind if we try always to follow her example, continue her work, and call on her for advice.

You can read Mary’s bio; and also Eric’s bio.

Caring for the Human Spirit Conference, Orlando, Florida, US – 20-22 April 2015

HealthCare Chaplaincy Network invites you to attend the conference, either in person or by webcast. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn about the latest advances and best practices in clinical care, and latest developments in education, research and advocacy from leading experts and researchers in spiritual care, palliative care and oncology. This inspirational and transformative conference will help professionals from all disciplines understand, put into practice, and enhance the integration of spiritual care in health care.

Internationally renowned speakers include:

Liliana De Lima, Betty Ferrell, George Handzo, Christina Puchalski, Karen E. Steinhauser and John Swinton

Join us virtually or in-person 20-22 April 2015, Orlando, Florida, US.

What do virtual attendees get?

As a virtual attendee, you receive live stream of the keynote and plenary sessions with the opportunity to interact by asking questions from your computer. In addition, you will receive live audio (and PowerPoint presentation) of four workshops of your choice! Virtual attendees receive the same CMEs/CNEs/CEUs as in-person attendees (pending approval). After the conference, you will also receive a recorded video of the keynote, plenary sessions, and the four selected workshops.

Register now.

Call for Poster Presentations at The 7th Annual Spirituality and Health Summer Institute – 8-11 July 2015 in Washington, DC, US

Deadline to submit: May 15, 2015

The 7th Annual Spirituality and Health Summer Institute is now accepting abstracts for poster presentation. We invite you to submit a 250-word abstract for a poster that addresses the issues at the intersection of spirituality and healthcare. Although we invite proposals on the full range of topics related to spirituality and healthcare, preference will be given to those that focus on state of science in spirituality in health, the role of interdisciplinary teams in the development of a bio-psychosocial spiritual treatment/care plan, models of excellence for integrating spirituality-based care in clinical practice, compassion and spiritual practices, and reflective rounds in professional education.
Click here for the abstract submission guidelines.

Overview of Summer Institute

At the 7th Annual Summer Institute, participants will discuss evidence for spiritual care and compassionate presence, the tools to bring spirituality to the forefront of clinical care, and the roles of members in the interdisciplinary team.

The deadline for early bird registration and group discount is May 3, 2015. For more information and registration, please visit our website.

Hidden Lives – Hidden Patients. 27-30 September 2015, Durban South Africa

Our registration is now live, and we encourage you to take a look at the fees, accommodation, travel and transfers on the website, and get your registration in early.

Conference fees

Conference fees are in South African Rand (ZAR). Early Bird rates are applicable for registration and payment by 26 June 2015. Standard rates are applicable for registration and/or payment after 26 June 2015.

We encourage you to register and pay early to take advantage of the Early Bird rates. Due to our commitments to the hotel regarding the holding of rooms, and the release of rooms after a certain date, we will not be able to extend this early bird deadline, so do make sure that you get your registration in early.

Second annual Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium: 9-10 October 2015, Boston, Massachusetts, US

A team approach to palliative care can, and should, include everyone in an oncology setting: physicians, palliative care specialists, nurses, hospice professionals, social workers, and others. The 2015 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium will provide information that is vital to the entire cancer care continuum, from laboratory research regarding biologic mechanisms of symptoms to caring for patients’ psychosocial and spiritual needs during cancer treatment and at end of life. Abstracts will be discussed in the General Sessions, as well as in dedicated Oral Abstract and Poster Discussion Sessions, providing ample context around the scientific data – the whole-patient perspective.

Four new networking events have been added this year, allowing for increased interaction with colleagues from within and outside of your specialty as well as increased opportunities for one-on-one discussions with palliative care experts. Due to the overwhelming success of the inaugural Symposium, this year’s meeting will take place at a new venue – the Boston Marriott Copley Place – and will feature classroom-style seating and space for networking, posters, and exhibits.

Visit pallonc.org in late-April to view the preliminary program, call for abstracts information, and additional details on the new networking events.

First Nordic Conference in Children’s Palliative Care – 25 to 27 November 2015, Oslo, Norway

This first Nordic conference on children’s palliative care is a joint project with the Norwegian organization ‘Yes to palliative units and care for children in Norway’ and Gjøvik University College. We are looking forward to bringing healthcare workers together for new learning and sharing of knowledge. We can promise a very good program with some of the most well known experts in the field of children’s palliative care, many of whom will present in English. Sister Frances Dominica and the Minister of Health for Norway will also be there. Please visit the conference website to view the program and register.

Note: If you are an English speaker and need help with the registration, please call +47 55 55 36 55.

Previous Page | News Index | Next Page