Newton Medical Center (NMC), along with other national, state and community organizations, recognizes April 16 as National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD). NHDD is a national initiative to encourage patients to express their wishes regarding healthcare and for providers and facilities to respect those wishes, whatever they may be.
In recognition of NHDD, NMC will hold a free discussion on advance care planning. The event will take place on Friday, April 20, from 10 to 11:15 a.m. at the Newton YMCA. Attendees will have the opportunity to view clips of the Emmy-nominated documentary, “Consider the Conversation 2: Stories about Cure, Relief, and Comfort.” The film highlights the value of palliative care and shows viewers what end-of-life conversations with medical professionals look like, sound like and feel like. It features the perspectives of seriously ill patients from a variety of backgrounds as well as the doctors who care for them.
The discussion will feature a panel of local experts who will discuss how to have necessary conversations ahead of medical crises and answer questions about advance care planning. The panel will consist of professionals from the hospital, Newton Fire/EMS, Harry Hynes Hospice and Good Shepard Hospice.
“By providing this educational opportunity to the public, many more people in our community can be expected to have thoughtful conversations about their healthcare decisions and complete reliable advance care directives to make their wishes known,” said Val Gleason, president and chief executive officer, NMC. “Fewer families and healthcare providers will have to struggle with making difficult healthcare decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient. This also allows us, as your community hospital, along with our local healthcare partners, to be better equipped to address advance healthcare planning issues before a crisis and be better able to honor patient wishes when the time comes to do so.”
The screening and discussion will take place in Studio A at the Newton YMCA, 701 Wheatridge Drive. No RSVP is needed. For more information, contact Kathy Schrag at 316-804-6065 or visit newtonmed.com.
