HP Newsletter - Hospice Pharmacia

4
Passionate for the Appropriate Use of Medication
excelleRx Supports Care Coordination Solutions Forum for WHCoA
- Diane Jones, MSW, Director of excelleRx Institute
excelleRx joined several national fundraising
organizations in supporting a critical White
House Conference on Aging (WHCoA)
Solutions Forum, Care Coordination
Across the Continuum. The event focused
on articulating cutting edge solutions
rather than repeating the many well-known
problems associated with our current
healthcare system. Held at the Russell Senate
Office Building on July 19, 2005, an expert
panel of 15 luminaries spoke to an audience
comprised of policy makers, non-government
organizations, healthcare industry leaders
and the press.
The Care Coordination Across the Continuum
Solutions Forum was among hundreds of
grass roots events that have been held across
the country over the past year and a half for the
purpose of making recommendations to the
WHCoA Policy Committee for consideration.
The recommendations presented by the
Care Coordination event specifically deal
with healthcare in the final years of life and
envision a healthcare system with seamless
coordination of comprehensive, reliable, and
readily accessible medical care and supportive
services over time and across settings.
Adherence to evidence-based standards and
guidelines for treatments, medication therapy
management, and services, was one of several
critical elements of optimal coordinated care
advanced by the Solutions Forum.
The full report from the Care Coordination
Across the Continuum Solutions Forum can
be downloaded at www.medicaring.org/
whcoa. For information about other activities
of the White House Conference on Aging go
to www.whcoa.gov. If implemented, these
recommendations could have sweeping
impact on the delivery of health care for the
next decade.
JoAnne Reifsnyder, PhD, SVP of Research
and Innovation at excelleRx and Diane Jones,
MSW, Director of the excelleRx Institute
were members of the planning committee.
Jones also coordinated the event.
The White House Conference on Aging
occurs once a decade to make aging policy
recommendations to the President and
Congress, and to assist the public and
private sectors in promoting dignity, health,
independence and economic security of
current and future generations of older
persons. The upcoming White House
Conference on Aging will be the first one
of the 21st century and is scheduled to
take place December 11 – 14, 2005 in
Washington, DC.
Here are two specific steps you can take to
get your voice heard:
• Call the offices of your Congressperson
and Senator, and be sure that their
health staffers are on board. You can
use the online Congressional Directory
to find contact information.
• Use the WHCoA online contact
form and tell them how important it
is that they pay attention to serious
chronic illness, continuity, and
caregiving - and that they follow at
least the recommendations of the Care
Coordination Across the Continuum
Solutions Forum.
HOSPICE FUND-RAISERS...
Attention non-for-profi t hospices and for for-profi t hospice
foundations that are looking for a turn-key fund-raising event: “A
Good Idea” fund-raiser event, featuring singer-song writer Karen-
Taylor Good, may work for you!
If you are unfamiliar with Ms. Good’s talents and abilities either, visit
www.hospicepharmacia.com and click on “Hospice Fund-Raiser” or,
attend our annual Hospice Appreciation Dinner on Friday September
23rd, where Karen will highlight components of her fundraising ideas.
If you would like to share a good idea for a hospice fund-raiser, send
your idea to HPPartners@excelleRx.com!
www.hospicepharmacia.com