The Chautauqua Cares Coalition, the local Advance Care Planning initiative, held its annual meeting at Webb's Captains Table in Mayville.
The meeting not only celebrates the group's accomplishments for the previous year, but also honors select partners for their extra effort. This year there were four awards given. The Physician Advocate Award was given to Westfield Family Physicians for their delivery of patient centered care that incorporates advance care planning conversations. The Attorney Advocate Award went to Brautigam and Brautigam, LLP, for making submissions of healthcare proxies to the registry part of their estate planning process. Rev. Jim Bailey and the members of Park United Methodist Church received a Community Advocate Award for continued support of Coalition programs through the use of their facility. A second Community Advocate Award was given to April Reynolds, Department of Social Services, to recognize her volunteer accomplishments in support of key Coalition activities.
Cara Seekings, coalition coordinator, gave a summary of the coalition's activities during 2008 that included: professional development with healthcare providers, clergy, and senior service agencies, community education on advance care planning, and promotion of the Web-based Healthcare Proxy Registry.
The group discussed 2010 activities that will promote awareness and increase education including: development of an advance care planning pamphlet for use by clergy, implementation of the Provider Enhancement Associate program in multiple provider offices to assist with patient education, marketing of the Education in Palliative and End of Life Care program to enhance healthcare professionals knowledge, and presentation of a play on National Healthcare Decision Day that explores a families struggles with a variety of end-of-life issues. There was a short discussion about proposed healthcare reform legislation and its affect on Advanced Care Planning.
The event included a demonstration of the Chautauqua County Health Network's Palliative Care Searchable Database. It contains a listing of more than 300 local services to support family, friends, and individuals with a life-limiting diagnosis. The database may be accessed from the CCHN Web site at www.cchn.net.
The Chautauqua Cares Coalition, facilitated by CCHN, has been in operation for four years. Membership includes representatives from: WCA Hospital, Brooks Memorial Hospital, Westfield Memorial Hospital, TLC Health Network, Office for the Aging, Emergency Services, Hospice, St. Bonaventure Bogoni Center, Department of Social Services, Park United Methodist Church, St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Caregivers, Chautauqua County Home, Absolut Care Westfield, Heritage Group, Lutheran Social Services, Senior Life Matters, Visiting Nurses Association, Chautauqua County Health Department, and area physicians. The next meeting will be held on November 4th at Brooks Memorial Hospital in Dunkirk and anyone interested in attending should contact CCHN at 664-8445 for more information.