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Is transition the same as change?
Reflection from the Executive Director,
Amy Melnick, MPA


According to a simple google search, the words transition and change may appear to be the same, but, in fact, they are very different. Change is external and transition is the internal process we experience in response to change. Over the past few months, the Coalition has gone through both – change and transition. Thanks to all of you for your patience as we work through both of these. 

We want to thank our outgoing President, Edo Banach, former CEO and President of NHCPO for helming the Coalition these past two years and demonstrating keen leadership and guidance. We want to welcome our new Board President, Virginia (Ginger) Marshall, MSN, ACNP-BC, ACHPN, FPCN, Chief Executive Officer of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA), Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation, and Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center. Marshall has served on the Coalition Board for the past three years and as treasurer for the past year.

“I have loved serving on the board of directors for the Coalition, and it is an honor to serve in the role as president," Ginger said. "This organization is so fortunate to have such dedicated representatives from vital organizations working together to improve the care of people with serious or life-limiting illness.” 

With Ginger’s ascension, Patricia Appelhans, JD, CEO, Association of Professional Chaplains, has been elected Treasurer of the Coalition. Click here to view our entire Board.

 
On the staff side, long-time Coalition Manager, Cozzie King, has departed the Coalition for a Washington DC based non-profit focused on transforming philanthropy. We thank Cozzie for her five plus years of service as an essential component of the Coalition involved in all aspects of Coalition operations and projects. I am pleased to introduce and welcome Theresa Profant, MS as our new Coalition Communications and Operations Manager. She joins us most recently as Project Manager from the Pediatric End-of-Life (PedEOL) Care Research Group. Theresa has more than 15 years of experience in public health, communications, and healthcare operations. Welcome Theresa! 
Thank you to all of our outgoing leaders and staff and welcome to our new leadership! Your passion and commitment to the Coalition is what makes the Coalition thrive!
Our goal is to coordinate an advocacy agenda to improve the ability to speak with a more consistent voice to policy makers.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Engages with Coalition
Over the past several months, Coalition leaders have been in dialogue with CMMI officials and staff to discuss Coalition recommendations submitted to CMMI for integrating palliative care capabilities, enhancements, and specialists into population-based models such as accountable care organizations (ACOs). Our Coalition Advocacy Workgroup have had the opportunity to discuss these recommendations in detail with CMMI and look forward to continued efforts to improve serious illness care in the US. 
More information found below: Coalition Recommendations to CMMI ACO Waivers and Enhancements 
Senators Rosen & Boozman Support Long-Term Care Commission with a Palliative Care Focus
U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and John Boozman (R-AR) introduced bipartisan legislation Supporting Our Seniors Act, S. 4862 which, if enacted, would create a National Advisory Commission on long-term care services for seniors and individuals in need of care and long-term support. The legislation also recognizes the essential importance of integrating palliative care into the provision of long-term care. The Coalition was pleased to endorse this legislation upon introduction. Please Tweet @SenJackyRosen and @JohnBoozman to say thanks!
Palliative Care Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA) Update
As of November 1, S. 4260, the Palliative Care Hospice Education and Training Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Shelly Capito (R-WV) is gathering support in the Senate and has 19 bi-partisan co-sponsors. Over 40 national organizations are working together to pass this legislation before the end of the year and have recently sent letters to all 50 Senators asking for their support to pass this bill or to thank them for their support. PCHETA has been a longstanding legislative goal for the Coalition and, if enacted, it would improve interdisciplinary training of the palliative care team, establish a national awareness campaign regarding palliative care and encourage the NIH to focus additional resources on research.  
Stay tuned for an online day of action coming in mid-November!

Coalition Submits Recommendations on Hospice Equity, CMS Includes Recommendations in October 1 Final Rule
This summer the Coalition submitted a set of recommendations to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services regarding improving hospice care in the US. CMS released its final FY 2023 payment update for hospices, which included a number of policy changes and a commitment to health equity and hospice. The Coalition worked across three internal Workgroups, Hospice, Advocacy and Diversity and Inclusion to develop robust recommendations related to equity initiatives within the hospice and palliative care field including feedback on developing a future health equity structural composite measure concept to inform future measure development. 

CMS has stated that “one important strategy for addressing hospice and palliative care disparities is improving data collection to allow for better measurement and reporting on equity across our programs and policies”. The Coalition is committed to working with CMS to do this work. 

This Hospice Final Rule went into effect on October 1.

More information on can be found at the CMS FACT SHEET.   
 
NQF Approves Two New Palliative Care Measures: NEW Implementation Guide Published

The National Quality Forum published in September its final report announcing its official approval of three new hospice and palliative care measures. During this measure review cycle, the Geriatrics and Palliative Care Standing Committee evaluated three new measures related to 1.) patients’ experience feeling heard and understood, 2.) patients’ experience receiving desired help for pain in ambulatory care and, 3.) hospice visits in the last days of life. Using NQF’s standard evaluation criteria, all three measures were endorsed.  
  • NQF #3665 Ambulatory Palliative Care Patients’ Experience of Feeling Heard and Understood (American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine [AAHPM])
  • NQF #3666 Ambulatory Palliative Care Patients’ Experience of Receiving Desired Help for Pain (AAHPM)
To assist with implementation of the above two recently NQF endorsed quality measures an Implementation Guide has been published available to all. This detailed guide published by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) was developed to help palliative care teams implement and collect data for these two patient-reported outcome performance measures (PROPMs) for quality improvement (QI) and regulatory reporting efforts. The Coalition congratulates AAHPM and all those involved in the successful creation of these quality measure and was honored to be a part of this groundbreaking project

Complete details regarding the NQF Endorsement Process

Download the Implementation Guide 
Download Implementation Guide
National Pediatric Palliative Care Task Force Kicks Off Second Term 
Following a successful inaugural 18-month term, the National PPC Task Force with support from the Cameron and Hayden Lord Foundation and the Ho Chiang Foundation is now entering its second term. Rachel Thienprayoon, MD, (PCQC) will serve as Chair, and Holly Davis, ARPN, (NHPCO) has been appointed Chair Elect with 
Cheryl Thaxton, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FPCN serving as Immediate Past-Chair.  As it has from the start, the Task Force remains committed to intentionally engaging families in all aspects of our work. Our 2022-2023 priorities are charted below.
Impact of Supreme Court Ruling Dobbs vs. Jackson on Pediatric & Perinatal Palliative Care 
The Coalition released a statement regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling on Dobbs vs Jackson in June. Since then, the National PPC Task Force has been examining the immediate and impending impact of the ruling on pediatric palliative and perinatal care. The Task Force is concerned about the decision’s specific impact on pediatric and perinatal palliative care and an individual’s autonomy to make their own healthcare decisions and clinicians’ ability to practice evidence-based, compassionate care. 
What has been your clinical or family experiences or observations following the Dobbs vs Jackson ruling? We would like to hear from you. Please email the Task Force project director Devon Dabbs at devond@nationalcoalitionhpc.org 
Sign up HERE to receive PPC NOW
National Academies of Sciences Caregiving Workshop Featured Coalition Volunteer
The National Academies of Sciences in Washington DC hosted a workshop titled "Family Caregiving for People with Cancer and Other Serious Illnesses" and featured family caregiver and member of the National Pediatric Palliative Care Task Force (PCCTF), Dannell Shu of Minnesota. Dannell spoke of the lived experience of being a parent of a child living with a serious illness and the continuous encounters with the health care system including what worked and didn’t work as her family worked to obtain palliative care for her son. Dannell was also selected as the closing speaker for this workshop. Amy Melnick, Executive Director of the Coalition was on the planning committee and co-moderated the policy session which focused on potential policy and practice opportunities to support family caregivers and advance family-centered care for serious illness, including new models of care delivery and payment.

More information about the Roundtable event can be viewed at this link. To view a video recording of Dannell's presentation, use the link to view the sessions.
Dannell Shu (Right), Coalition Volunteer, spoke at the National Academy of Sciences Workshop: Family Caregiving for People with Cancer and Other Serious Illnesses. 
Impact Report: Read and Share
Click Here Impact Report or Select the image below:
 
Impact Report Cover
 
NCP Guidelines

Purchase a hardcopy of the Coalition’s most popular and most cited publication, National Consensus Project’s Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, 4th ed (NCP Guidelines) at our new special discounted price of $25.


To order a copy,
CLICK HEREOr email Theresa Profant, Coalition Manager, Communications and Operations TheresaP@NationalCoalitionHPC.org 
 
As always, the NCP Guidelines are also free to download.

 
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