Winter 2021
Featured
Feature
The Unseen Effects of the Pandemic on Hospice Physicians
Larry Beresford For Bethany Snider, MD HMDC FAAHPM, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Hosparus Health, a large not-for-profit hospice and palliative care provider based in Louisville, KY, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, changed...
In this Issue
A Message from the President
The Academy’s Commitment to Diversity In Review and Looking Forward
When I started my tenure as Academy president, I asked in my column in summer 2021 if the Academy's commitment to diversity was enough. While I recognized the initial work AAHPM had accomplished, I charged Academy leaders and staff to...
The Bridge Builder
How Allies Help Build an Inclusive Culture
An opportunity for listening, self-reflection, and change currently exists for the Academy. It is the strengthening of our community in the endeavor to build a culture of allyship. The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine aims to provide all...
Clinical Pearls
Facilitating Communication and Comfort at the End of Life
Teresa L. Deshields, PhD ABPP, and Jane E. Loitman, MD MBA FAAHPM Mr. Z. is in the intensive care unit receiving clinician-activated boluses of hydromorphone for prostate cancer, metastatic to the bone. He is anxiously curled up, and the medication...
Art of Caring
Fine
Miriam Correa, MSN AGPCNP-BC ACHPN "How was your day?" they ask. "Fine…" I answer. Knowing that I can't say that it was most certainly not fine. It wasn't fine when I tried to prepare a family that death was very,...
Advocacy Update
AAHPM Continues to Target APMs in Effort to Expand, Improve Care for Serious Illness
Jacqueline M. Kocinski, MPP Despite its proven benefits, many patients and caregivers never receive palliative care because current payment systems do not provide adequate resources to enable palliative care teams to deliver those services to the right patient in the...
Pathways to Palliative Care
It’s Not About the Gravy: Emily Olson, APRN CNP MSN ACHPN
Cory Ingram, MD MS FAAHPM On her third consecutive night of call as a newly minted nurse from Winona State University, Emily Olson found herself answering the call light of a 40-year-old lady with a hematological malignancy. "My food arrived...
Let's Think About It Again
Determining Decision-Making Capacity
Case Study Mrs. T. is a 65-year-old woman with a Palliative Performance Scale score of 60% and dementia (FAST scale 6b). She lost her husband of 30 years 6 months ago, and the adjustment has been difficult for her. She...
HMDCB Update
HMDCB Welcomes New Directors and Provides Exam and Event Updates
Mark your calendars for the opening of the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board's (HMDCB) 2022 initial exam cycle. Application opened: January 11, 2022 Early-bird deadline (save $250 in late fees): March 22, 2022 Application closes: April 26, 2022 Testing window:...
AAHPM News
Enter a New Educational Experience Through AAHPM Learn
In late July, the Academy launched AAHPM Learn, an exciting new online learning platform designed to provide a more immersive learning experience to members and customers. AAHPM Learn enables learners to improve their skills, expand their professional knowledge and competence,...
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, with an...