VA to host National Hospice Education Program

IRON MOUNTAIN – The Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain, Michigan, will be hosting Hospice Foundation of America’s 2013 Living With Grief® Program  on Thursday, April 18, 2013, from 8:30 a.m. to noon (CDT).

In a press release today, Oscar G. Johnson VAMC Public Affairs Officer Brad Nelson says the information provided by the expert panel will be useful to clinicians, administrators, chaplains, social workers, nurses, case managers, counselors, physicians, and other staff working in hospice and palliative care, hospitals, long-term care and assisted living facilities.

The program this year focuses on “Improving Care for Veterans Facing Illness and Death.”  It is designed to assist end-of-life care provider organizations and health and human service professionals in enhancing their sensitivities and understanding of veterans and to provide professionals with new interventions to better serve dying veterans and their families.   The program also looks organizationally at military benefits and intersections with VA systems and will explore the traditions and sensitivities of grieving families and resources that can assist them.

This nationally recognized program qualifies for three hours of continuing education credits for nurses, social workers, counselors, clergy and more.

The two and a half hour video portion of the program is moderated by Frank Sesno, Director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University.  He will lead a panel of noted authorities from the Department of Veteran Affairs, academia, and private sector.

There will also be a local discussion following the video portion of the program.

“This Hospice of Foundation of America program will assist both the VA Medical Center and its health care partners in the community in improving end-of-life care for Veterans and their families through interventions, local resources, and enhancing day-to-day interactions,” said Andrea Collins, Associate Director for Nursing and Patient Care.

Each year the Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) presents a nationally recognized distance learning program to more than 125,000 people in 2,000 communities. For more than a decade, this annual educational event has been instrumental in educating healthcare professionals and families on issues affecting end-of-life care.

To learn more about this educational program and its panel of experts visit www.hospicefoundation.org.  For more local information or to register contact Selena Okler, RN, CHPN, at (906) 774-3300, extension 34504.