2017; Volume 18, No 6, June
IAHPC 2017 Institutional Award – HOSPICE Casa Sperantei
HOSPICE Casa Sperantei wins IAHPC 2017 Institutional Award
Our members play a vital part in advancing the mission of the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care. To formally acknowledge their support, we offer individual and institutional awards to build awareness of just how much we value our members. This year we are delighted to present the award to HOSPICE Casa Sperantei in Romania.
Laura Iosub, PR Coordinator for Education and Development, explains the hospice’s remarkable journey of the past 25 years and what it means to them to win the award.
We change the lives of children and adults suffering from incurable illnesses. We offer unconditional care and compassion and give dignity and hope.
HOSPICE Casa Speranței is a non-profit organization, established in Brasov in 1992. Its founder, Graham Perolls, introduced the concept of palliative care (based on the UK hospice model) to Romania. HOSPICE Casa Speranţei is a member of the Hospices of Hope network and is the largest organization in the country providing free specialist palliative care services.
Daniela Mosoiu, Director of Education and National Development at HOSPICE Casa Sperantei, during the 3-7 April 2017 Palliative Care Masterclass in Brasov, Romania. She is pictured here talking to palliative care experts: Jane Carnahan Hinshaw, M.D (psychiatrist, teaching at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York); Daniel Hinshaw, M.D.(Professor Emeritus of Surgery at the University of Michigan School of Medicine) and Frank D. Ferris, MD, FAAHPM, FAACE, (Executive Director, Palliative Medicine, Research & Education, OhioHealth).
HOSPICE Casa Speranței has developed holistic palliative care services that are provided through day centers, out-patient clinics, in-patient units, home visits and partner hospitals. Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of patients and their families when faced with the problems of an incurable illness, through medical care for patients and social support, psycho-emotional and spiritual counseling for patients and their families. HOSPICE Casa Speranței is increasing access to palliative care at national and international levels through raising awareness, providing educational programs for medical professionals, patients and the community, and also by working with government to achieve an appropriate legislative environment.
Our vision is that all patients in Romania suffering from an incurable illness receive proper palliative care, at the appropriate time, so that they can live every moment with dignity, alongside their family.
Our mission is to care for children and adults suffering from an incurable illness, with professionalism and dedication, offering specialized services for them and for their families.
HOSPICE Casa Sperantei in 2017 – running projects
- Centre of Excellence in Palliative Care for the Central Eastern European Region (2014-2019), Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation.
- Developing and piloting an integrated palliative care curriculum for oncology residents in Romania (2017-2018), Janssen Romania and Johnson & Johnson Corporate Citizenship Trust.
- European Palliative Care Academy (EUPCA). Leadership programme (2013-2017), Bosch Foundation.
- MenACE – Mental health, Aging and palliative care in European prisons (2016-2018), European Union, Erasmus + Programme.
- Piloting a patient app and telemedicine service in Bucharest (2016-2017), Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation.
- MobiHope – Increasing Quality of Life and Care for Patients with Life-Threatening Diseases (2014-2017), Vodafone Romania Foundation.
- First Steps in Adding Legal Services Component for Palliative Care Services in Romania (2015-2017), Open Society Foundations New York.
HOSPICE Casa Sperantei team at the EAPC World Congress in Madrid:
Left to right: Nicoleta Mitrea, Daniela Mosoiu, Camelia Ancuta, Malina Dumitrescu and Laura Iosub
What the IAHPC Award means to us
For HOSPICE Casa Sperantei, this award enabled us to nominate one of our team members, Mrs. Malina Dumitrescu, to participate in the remarkable World Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care held in Madrid (May 18 to 20).
This made visible a part of the research and advocacy work of our team: ten posters, of which three were nominated for the ‘top three category', an award-winning presentation and, of course, the chance to network with professionals from all over the world and access new, useful resources for developing palliative care in Romania! Malina is pictured here with her poster.
Thanks so much to the long-term supporters of HOSPICE Casa Sperantei who made this possible, especially IAHPC!
Links
- HOSPICE Casa Sperantei.
- Click here to download HOSPICE Casa Sperantei’s annual report (in Romanian).
- Click here to find out more about the Hospices of Hope network.
Note: The IAHPC Institutional Award is awarded annually to the institution that has joined the IAHPC as a lifetime member. The award is selected through a random process and consists of a traveling scholarship to a staff/team member. The institution determines who in their group can use the traveling scholarship. Find out more about joining IAHPC and membership benefits here.