Fall 2020
Featured
Feature
Programs Have Stepped Up to New Roles—Where They’ve Had Sufficient Staffing
By Larry Beresford At the start of the viral surge of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in New York City, Dana Lustbader, MD FAAHPM, chair of the Department of Palliative Care at ProHEALTH, an OPTUM multispecialty accountable care organization serving the...
In this Issue
A Message from the President
Leading Without a Playbook: Personal Leadership Reflections During COVID-19
Picture the past normal. March 2019. Becoming president-elect of a membership-based organization composed of medical professionals. High-functioning board and staff, solid finances, new strategic plan, and many other positive aspects pointing to a good year and bright future. Imagine the...
Art of Caring
Learning to Listen
Rachel Gentes, MA MSN APRN CNP On summer evenings in Minnesota, I love to sit on my deck and listen to the chorus of the crickets and frogs. It's a sound that is part of the soundtrack of my life....
Annual Assembly
The (Reimagined) Annual Assembly of Hospice & Palliative Care February 17-20, 2021 (and Beyond!)
The past few months have brought more than a little uncertainty, but one thing is for sure: the 2021 Annual Assembly will take place, and it will be reimagined. The challenges of the pandemic have given us the opportunity to...
Clinical Pearls
Palliation of Breathlessness in the Context of COVID-19
Kate Lally, MD; Kate Baccari, PA-C; and Ana Tuya Fulton, MD AGSF FACP Dyspnea is a prominent symptom of COVID-19 given the propensity of the virus to infect the respiratory tract and cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in severe...
Let's Think About It Again
Visitation in the Case of COVID-19
Case Study Mr. S. is a 65-year-old man who, aside from chronic asthma and mild hypertension, has been extremely healthy and active. He is now admitted to the ICU with respiratory failure from COVID-19 and is on a ventilator. His...
Advocacy Update
Policymaking and Advocacy in a Time of a Crisis
Jacqueline M. Kocinski, MPP There is an adage that suggests that high stakes and high speed are not an ideal combination. Yet, in the wake of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus earlier this year, legislators and regulators at all...
Pathways to Palliative Care
An Attention to Nuance
Cory Ingram, MD MS FAAHPM Have you ever wondered how one couple's pursuit of the American dream could cultivate a child's decision to pursue palliative care? I had the pleasure of meeting with David Wang, MD, director of palliative medicine...
Diversity Equity & Inclusion
Health Disparities Amplified by the COVID-19 Pandemic
Rashmi K. Sharma, MD MHS, and Cardinale B. Smith, MD PhD It is hard not to feel discouraged these days as the streets burn with rage over racial injustice, our lives are turned upside down amidst a global pandemic, and...
HMDCB Update
HMDCB Celebrates Survey and Volunteer Successes
Update on HMDCB's Practice Analysis Survey Thank you to everyone who participated in the HMDCB Practice Analysis Survey that was distributed in June. The organization's Practice Analysis Task Force met in August to analyze the survey results and work on...
PCQC Update
The PCQC COVID-19 Case Report
The Palliative Care Quality Collaborative (PCQC) houses the new, unified quality registry for specialty palliative care. Its mission is to provide palliative care clinicians and programs with actionable information to improve the quality of palliative care delivery. In the wake...
Quarterly Progress Report
AAHPM Points of Progress
More than 30 committees and task forces representing the efforts and expertise of hundreds of Academy members have made significant progress toward implementing AAHPM's goals. This progress report highlights accomplishments within each goal area of the Strategic Plan during the...