Support Professional Development
Hospice Super Forum
100+ attendees participated in the inaugural Hospice Super Forum on Nov. 14, 2024.
This AAHPM and Hospice Medical Director Certification Board (HMDCB) half-day virtual event featured updates on hospice ethical challenges, hospice deprescribing, and managing complex symptoms. Gratitude to faculty members Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD PhD FAAHPM, Mina Chang, MD HMDC FAAHPM, and David Wensel, DO HMDC FAAHPM.
A recording of the Hospice Super Forum with accredited CME will be available for purchase soon.
Grand Rounds
AAHPM hosted its Fall Quarterly Grand Rounds on November 7, entitled If Me, Then You: Attaining Leadership Through Growth Opportunities, with Joanne Wolfe, MD MPH FAAHPM, serving as Grand Rounds Lecturer. Dr. Wolfe shared her journey of leadership, focusing on the importance of seizing opportunities and fostering personal growth. The recording of this outstanding lecture will be made available in the first quarter of 2025.
AAHPM CME Mission Statement
AAHPM’s Education and Learning Strategic Coordinating Committee chaired by Christine Kandehwal, DO MHPE HMDC FAAHPM, updated the AAHPM CME Mission Statement to align with the Academy’s 2024-2027 Strategic Plan.
CME Mission Statement
The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine strives to contribute to our members’ success and professional growth as educators, researchers, clinicians, and administrators through the provision of valid and independent educational content that supports improvements to strategies, skills, performance, and coordination as healthcare teams.
Educational content is designed to change competence and/or practice and prepare the workforce for changes in care delivery, develop a new cadre of physician and interprofessional leaders for hospice and palliative care, achieve advocacy priorities that advance and sustain the field, and support the professional development and well-being of a diverse and inclusive workforce across settings of care needed to meet increasing demand. AAHPM promotes professional development that supports the organization’s vision, mission, and values.
Advocacy Update
8 AAHPM members attended the AMA House of Delegates Interim Meeting Nov. 8-12, 2024, in FL.
- 3 AAHPM member delegates to the AMA
- 1 AAHPM president
- 4 AAHPM members serving as delegates of other orgs
AAHPM’s AMA Delegation of Chad Kollas, MD FACP FAAHPM, Ruth Thomson, DO MBA FAAHPM, and Ana Leech, MD FAAHPM, represented the Academy at the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates Interim Meeting in Orlando, FL. AAHPM President Vicki Jackson, MD MPH FAAHPM, also participated, as did AAHPM members who formally serve as delegates of other organizations including Holly Yang, MD MACP FAAHPM, Kyle Edmonds, MD FAAHPM, Toluwalase Ajayi, FAAP FAAHPM, and Karl Steinberg, MD CMD.
AAHPM was successful in garnering passage of the following:
- Expanding Palliative Care, a Board of Trustees report recognizing palliative care as a human right and providing a comprehensive definition
- Expanding Access to Palliative Care, a Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs report amending the Code of Medical Ethics to include an opinion on palliative care.
The passage of these reports recognizes the value of palliative care by the AMA and provides a starting point for additional advocacy in order to increase access to necessary services.
AAHPM sent an Action Alert to all members regarding extending current telehealth flexibilities. These flexibilities allow for expanded access to telehealth and were set to expire at the end of 2024. See the Advocacy Update in this issue for more details.
900 messages were sent to Congress in response to the action alert.
Support a Vibrant Community
Workforce Group Update
AAHPM is proud to be hosting a bimonthly program director and associate program director mentor meeting to discuss various themes to support fellowship programs throughout the academic cycle. There is also a Connect page dedicated to program and associate program directors. If you would like to be added to either of these, please reach out to Laura Witt at [email protected].
Ensure a Strong Organization
The Leadership and Career Development Committee is developing micro-learning, on-demand education as part of AAHPM’s Learn library. These quick 15- to 20-minute videos include Introduction to the Business Side of Palliative Medicine, Inclusive Leadership, and Portfolio Management.
The Fellowship Training Committee implemented the best practices repository that was hosted on Connect for program directors and associate program directors to generate ideas, see other people’s work, and contact programs to learn about their best practices.