Rebecca Rech Cutler, a former Hospice nurse and/or Bill Lombard, a local nephrologist, will discuss the meaning of advanced medical interventions in frank terms, focusing on patient outcomes when these interventions are employed. This presentation addresses in layperson's terms the realities of what these "interventions" mean to average people and their families so that you can make informed decisions about your care. Advance care planning, advance directives, and the importance of palliative care are discussed. They also will explain what a POLST is - Physician Order for Life Sustaining Treatment.

This interactive session will allow for questions and dialogue, and some equipment used in the ICU will be available for viewing.

Join a national dialog taking place in your community concerning an inescapable reality of life: death. Gather with friends, neighbors and peers to watch the FRONTLINE documentary Being Mortal, which explores what matters most to patients and families experience serious illness.

Reception before and community discussion to follow.

No cost, but tickets required. 

From a series of presentations, learn about and explore various end of life choices for you and your loved ones, including stopping treatment, palliative sedation, Death with Dignity and Voluntary Stopping of Eating and Drinking (VSED). Gain clarity about when treatment may no longer be helpful, and may even prolong the dying process. Hear about the challenges when there is a dementia diagnosis. Explore how these choices can impact the quality of your death and the medical and legal issues raised by these choices.

• $20 early registration
• $30 at the door.

In-Person Training for Healthcare Professionals. 

Familias en Accion

CMEs available from California State University Institute for Palliative Care

If you are concerned about discussing death with children or youth, you're not alone.  Books provide a way to begin these conversations.

Join Marie Eaton, Director of Palliative Care Institute at Western Washington University, Thom Barthelmess, Youth Services Manager at the Whatcom County Library System, and Sylvia Tag, Librarian at Western Washington University, for an introduction to the books that can provide pathways to these difficult conversations, and tips for introducing them with young people in your life.

Library programs are free of charge.  Please call 778-7200 with questions.

• Burlington Public Library, 820 E Washington Ave, Burlington, WA
• 10/27/2016 - 6:00pm to 7:30pm

• Lecture Room at the Central Library
• 10/27/2016 - 5:30pm to 6:30pm

• Village Books 1200 11th Street, Bellingham, WA
• 10/30/2016 - 4:00pm to 5:30pm

"It Always Seems Too Early, Until It’s Too Late." 

The Palliative Care Institute, in collaboration with PeaceHealth and the Whatcom Alliance for Heath Advancement, is hosting "The Realities of Advanced Medical Interventions" to help you better understand the implications of your healthcare choices if an accident or serious illness happens. 

Scott Foster, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Executive, PeaceHealth Medical Group, will highlight PeaceHealth's commitment to a comprehensive system for understanding, documenting and honoring patient values and goals for care at the end of life in all healthcare settings, including Advance Directives.

This event is offered in support of National Health Care Decisions Day.  Click the "Learn More" button to access their resources for advance care planning.

FREE EVENT!

In this workshop series, we’ll begin writing legacy letters for ourselves and our heirs. These documents—ranging anywhere from a paragraph to a book in length—can include our favorite stories, our values and beliefs, and our hopes and tributes. In the process, we’ll have the opportunity to reflect on our lives and provide gifts for loved ones. That’s why one former participant told me, “These letters are such a great idea. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself!” And another person said,  “I couldn’t sleep after the workshop because my head was so full of stories to tell. I blame you!” 

Session 1: March 28, 2017        1-3 pm

Past to Present: We’ll focus on the past, writing our signature stories about ourselves and others. We’ll cover ways to use these stories to explain current values. 

Session 2: April 4, 2017              1-3 pm  

Present to Future: We’ll continue with explorations of our beliefs. Then, we’ll move into the future, offering our hopes, blessings, and tributes. 

Registration: Limited to 15 people. $25.00 for the two sessions.

For more information visit pic.wwu.edu/programs. To sign up for workshop email pci@wwu.edu

Sponsored by the Palliative Care Institute (pci.wwu.edu) and facilitated by Margi Fox, who teaches professional writing at Western Washington University. Margi has given numerous workshops on legacy letters. In 2015, she presented a TEDx talk about wills: “The Afterlife of Wills: Why Legacy Matters.”

For over 2000 years, Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, three pillars of Chinese traditional culture, have guided Chinese people as they approach questions of how to age and how to die. Although these traditions are still woven in the fabric of everyday life, massive economic and political transformations in recent decades have drastically reshaped Chinese people’s beliefs and practices toward aging and end-of-life care.

In this presentation, Dr. Xu Li and Dr. Baozhen Luo will share insights and stories about cultural practices in the care of the elders in China from the past to the present. Calligraphy master, Kathy Pak, will demonstrate the role of her art form in graceful aging. 

This free event is co-sponsored by the Palliative Care Institute, the Whatcom County Council on Aging and the Bellingham Senior Activity Center.

“Gleason,” a 2016 Sundance Film Festival documentary, intimately chronicles five years in the life of former New Orleans Saints football defensive back Steve Gleason. Gleason was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 34. This film follows the rapid progression of his disease, taking the audience through his family's journey as he becomes a father, with all the triumphs, tragedies and struggles as he remains determined to live a purposeful life.

"Gleason" has since received international acclaim on the film festival circuit and is predicted to be an Oscar contender. Minton-Small will bring his movie to Western's campus on Feb. 3 for a special screening. 

WWU alumnus Ty Minton-Small (’11) lived through the laughs and tears from behind the camera as he lived with, filmed and provided care for Gleason during this time. Ty will be at this special event and will participate in a Q&A with KING5 News anchor and WWU alumna Joyce Taylor ('84.) 

DATE & TIME  Friday, February 3, 2017
6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Registration deadline is Thursday, Feb. 2.

LOCATION  Western Washington University
Performing Arts Center
Concert Hall

Free parking is available in Lot 14 G across from the Performing Arts Center.

PRICE $5.00

This event is brought to you by Western's Ignite Your Intellect speaker series and in partnership with WWU's Palliative Care Institute.

2017 Annual Palliative Care Institute Conference 

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION CLOSED at midnight on APRIL 12!   On-line registration continues until midnight May 10.  On-site registration from 8:30 am-9:00 am May 12.  Scroll down to the REGISTRATION BUTTON at the bottom of the page!

This day-long conference will include keynotes, break-out discussions, and interactive sessions to deepen our engagement with the themes of building resilience and combating compassion fatigue for both clinical professionals and family members working in palliative and end of life care introduced at last year’s PCI conference. We will Learn about the hazards of caregiving –  burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma –  and the solutions/antidotes/protective measures both home caregivers and health providers can take to guard against burnout and build resilience.

After conference, learners should be able to:

1. Describe the influences contributing to health providers and family caregivers experiencing compassion fatigue; 
2. Identify negative outcomes in patient care associated with compassion fatigue and caregiver burn-out; 
3. Describe the difference between the concepts of resilience and anti-fragility; 
4. Apply concepts of resilience and anti-fragility to specific provider case studies;
5. Describe the ways that providing and receiving care across cultural differences and boundaries can impact care and caregiver burn-out;
6. Apply an understanding of these subjects to oneself in order to make choices and put in place changes that will make a difference. 

Keynote Speakers and topics include:

Beyond Resilience: Building an Anti-Fragile Approach to Compassion Fatigue - Casey Shillam, PhD, RN-BC, Associate Dean for the Undergraduate Program Nursing Program, University of Portland.

Oxygen for Caregivers: Guarding Against Burnout, Building Resilience, Sustaining Compassion - Simon Fox, Executive Director, Adventures in Caring Foundation, Santa Barbara, CA

Caregiving across Cultural Differences or Barriers, Sandra Hernandes, Education Director, Familias en Acción, Portland, Oregon

REGISTRATION IS OPEN.   5.5 Hours Continuing Medical Education Credit Available.  For on-line registration click the REGISTER button below. If you need phone assistance, please call 360-650-3353.  

Registration

Regular: $75 – no CME
Student: $50 – no CME

Regular with CME $100
Student with CME $75

5.5 Hours Continuing Medical Education Credit Available

Accreditation: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements of the Washington State Medical Association through the joint providership of PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center and Western Washington University.  PeaceHealth St. Joseph is accredited by the WSMA to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

PeaceHealth St. Joseph designates this live activity for a maximum of 5.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits ™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. This activity meets the criteria for up to 5.5 hours of Category I CME credit to satisfy the relicensure requirements of the Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Commission.

Accreditation Equivalency: Category 1 CME credits generally are accepted on a 1:1 equivalence by nursing, social work and other health related licensing authorities. Care providers are advised to check with their licensing authorities in advance.