News

The Coalition is pleased to announce three new members: U-Realized, Elaine Marieb College of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts!

We'll be gathering virtually on November 3, 2022 for our Summit! Join us as we share about the Coalition's strategic direction and partnerships underway. Pre-register today!

Please join us for Maine Medical Center's Palliative Medicine and Clinical Ethics virtual Grand Rounds on Tuesday May 17th, 2022 8-9AM ET, "Paving the Way for Universal Medical Student Training: the Massachusetts Medical Schools Collaborative" with speakers Jennifer Reidy and Stephanie Chan.

Six years ago at the John F. Kennedy Library, we launched our Coalition. It was a truly unforgettable day, not just because Anna was 9 months pregnant. We have been reflecting on our collective work through the strategic planning process we started this spring. Though we’ve only just begun, we wanted to share a bit of our thinking so far and see how it resonates with all of you. The graphic below summarizes our ‘starting point’ for this work. We would greatly appreciate any of your reactions, comments, or questions. The link will take you to a short, open-ended survey, where you can share with us anything the graphic provokes. Your thoughts would be an excellent birthday present…

Join us on April 8, 2022 at 10am ET for an open session focused on the POLST Registry and IT Integration. The meeting is intended to focus on the technical aspects of the registry and would be best for people who would be working on implementing the technical workflows and integrating the POLST registry and procedures within current systems and EHRs. At the session, we will share the current vision for the POLST registry and key requirements, collect input on possible gaps and additional technological considerations, and elicit ideas for what should be prioritized at an organizational level, across care settings, and at a broader state level to prepare for successful development and implementation of the registry.

We’ve been hinting at it for a while now. And we’re excited the time is finally here: we’re doing strategic planning. The Coalition will be six years old this May and now has more than 125 Massachusetts-based member organizations. As ever, we’re all committed to ensuring that everyone gets health care that supports what matters most, especially in the face of serious illness. But a lot has changed. We’ve learned new things, expanded our relationships, asked new questions, and looked for new ways to increase our impact. There will be multiple ways to engage with us in the work, so stay tuned as we go on this journey.

Calling all nursing faculty to register for our Train-the-Trainer session about the ELNEC Core Curriculum on May 24 and 25, 2022. Learn how to effectively teach primary palliative nursing skills to manage individuals with serious illness using the ELNEC curriculum.

Coalition working group member Dr. Lisa Iezzoni has a new book out called, “Making Their Days Happen.” Today, about 17 million Americans who live in their homes need assistance with daily activities because of disability. Lisa’s book is a deeply thoughtful elevation of voices often missing from our health care and policy discussions – the voices of paid personal assistance services workers and the consumers they support. Here’s our interview with Lisa!

Shovel snow for a loved one? Manage finances? Help with meds? That’s care, and any care counts. Almost 1 in 2 of us are caring for a loved one. It’s a 24/7 role – one that impacts us in every aspect of our lives – and the need for support has never been higher.

Hey all. So it was, well, ANOTHER year. Of surges and quarantines. Of losses and learnings. Very thankful for all of you and sending all of you my warmest, squishiest hopes for a winter break. -- Anna