Physician Educational Sessions

Hospice, Clinical & Disease Management, Physician

Management of Non-Pain Symptoms

Inadequately treated non-pain symptoms can reduce the quality of life of dying patients, and foment a request for physician-assisted suicide. This presentation will utilize didactics and case presentations to discuss the management of dyspnea, hemoptysis, cough, the death rattle, nausea and vomiting, and hiccups.

Objectives:

• Discuss implications of inadequately treated non-pain symptoms for the dying patient.
• Discuss medications used to treat non-pain symptoms.
• Cite non-pain management modalities for specific symptoms such as dyspnea, cough, nausea and vomiting.

Faculty: Paul Rousseau, MD, Palliative Care Physician, Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center, Glendale, AZ;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Physician, Hospice

On Physician Communication: Diagnosis and Compassion

This session will present the importance of empathy, compassion, and communication in dealing with life-threatening illness. The presenter will discuss these issues from a personal account of a seriously ill family member.

Objectives:

• Discuss the importance of empathy, compassion, and communication as it pertains to a life-threatening illness.
• Discuss the current literature regarding compassion and empathy.
• Participate in a case report and provide personal experiences.

Faculty: Paul Rousseau, MD, Palliative Care Physician, Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center, Glendale, AZ;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);

Physician, Marketing & Business Development

Physician-HHA Collaboration Models in a Pay for Performance World

Home medical care visits by physicians and APNs have grown by 25% in the last five years. Many patients served need traditional home care. Physicians making house calls are therefore a new source of referrals. This session will feature three different models of non-employment, non-contractual collaborative arrangements between HHAs and house call providers.

Objectives:

• Describe the Washington Hospital Center/Medstar House Calls Medicaid Demonstration Program.
• Discuss ElderPAC "PACE Without Walls" Program.
• Describe VNA of Greater Philadelphia's Chronic Care Program.

Faculty: George Taler, MD, Director of Long Term Care, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC; Jean Yudin, NP, Director, ElderPAC Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; Karen Alston, RN, MSN/MBA, Senior Vice President of Home Health, Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending); 1.0 CPEs (NASBA/SKA);

Hospice, Physician, Pediatric Home Care

Kids Grieve Too

Children grieve differently. Despite the fact that many adults believe that children are "too young to notice" or are "too young to grieve," children are quite aware when someone they love dies. Additionally, the way they grieve and their understanding of death vary depending on ages. The way children grieve, their understanding, their needs, and their behaviors will be discussed along with theories of grief pertaining to children. Ways of supporting grieving children will be explored as well as a variety of programs to assist children in their grief.

Objectives:

• Discuss one way that children grieve differently than adults.
• Identify two age-specific needs of grieving children.
• Name two programs appropriate for grieving children.

Faculty: Susan Blakeslee, MA, LMHC, Clinical Associate, UHSA, Inc., Atlanta, GA; Melanie Gossard, RNC, Director of Nursing, UHC, Inc., Bellefontaine, OH;

Course Level: Intermediate; 1.8 nursing CEs (MNA Approval Pending);