News & Updates

Showing results for ""

So long, farewell

January 20, 2026

Dear Massachusetts Serious Illness Coalition Community,

It’s a strange sort of feeling, writing a farewell newsletter to a group of professionals committed to improving the lives of people facing serious illness—we’re just not ones to shy away from acknowledging the end. And so here we are. After nearly a decade of collaboration, learning, and impact, the Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care will be winding down in 2026.

New Publication about our HCA Program!

November 5, 2025

We are thrilled to share a new publication highlighting our Health Care Agent Matching Program in HealthCare: The Journal of Delivery Science and Innovation. The article describes our experience creating and running the program and includes a toolkit containing all of the resources we have developed to make it easier for others who are interested in developing a similar program.

Our research was published in JAMA Network Open

March 18, 2025

A new study published in JAMA Network Open and led by Carine Davila, Palliative Care Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, in partnership with the Coalition, highlights critical disparities in the experience of patient-clinician communication among adults with serious illness.

HCA Program Highlighted on WHYY's, The Pulse

March 17, 2025

David Sontag, director of ethics for Beth Israel Lahey Health, discussed the HCA Program in a recent interview on WHYY’s, The Pulse.

Massachusetts gets 4.5 out of 5 stars!

December 19, 2024

There are at least 13 million adults and approximately 700,000 children living with a serious illness in the United States. While significant progress has been made to advance palliative care access and delivery, there are still many parts of the U.S. where such holistic care is not well-integrated or supported—resulting in unnecessary suffering, avoidable expenses, overwhelmed caregivers, and clinician burnout

Wrapping up our pilot year

December 19, 2024

After ten beautiful meetings of our Massachusetts Patient and Community Review Board our pilot year has come to an end. Designed to provide a thoughtful space for patients and community members to share their insights and experiences with healthcare researchers and program developers, our Board members really shined. They shared from both their personal and professional experiences interacting with the health care system.

SGIM 2024: Enhancing Serious Illness Conversations

September 10, 2024

In May 2024, the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) held its annual conference in Boston! Our very own Carine Davila, with several other colleagues, hosted a standing-room-only workshop called “Best Practices in Serious Illness Communication for Patients from Historically Marginalized Backgrounds.”

Register Now: C+TAC Summit 2024

September 10, 2024

In case you missed it, registration is open for C+TAC’s National Leadership Summit in Washington, DC, on October 21-22, 2024. They’re gathering national changemakers working to improve the quality of life for people living with serious illness and their caregivers. The speakers and agenda look amazing - lots of discussion around state-level movement in palliative care policy, health equity, and innovative care models.

Next Education Forum on Nov 13

September 10, 2024

We are thrilled to reflect on the success of the inaugural Serious Illness Care Education Forum, which has made significant strides in its first year! The forum featured four engaging sessions hosted by a Massachusetts medical school.

Welcome, Minute Women Home Care!

September 10, 2024

The Coalition is excited to welcome Minute Women Home Care as a new member! Since 1969, Minute Women has provided comprehensive home care services, including specialized dementia care, to seniors in the Boston area. Their team of trained memory care professionals works closely with families to ensure a safe environment where seniors can age in place and receive the specialized care they need.