AAHPM Spring Quarterly : Page 19SPRING 2012 19 and granting immunity to providers who honor a POLST/ MOLST form stipulating do not resuscitate/do not attempt resuscitation/allow natural death. As multistate hospital systems adopt standardized systemwide elec-tronic health records, scope of practice variation among states creates greater complexity. Next Steps We know the old adage “there’s strength in numbers” is particularly applicable when it comes to advocacy. It is important for the Academy to weigh in on issues, yet AAHPM’s leaders know the voice of hospice and pallia-tive medicine is amplified if the organization works in coalitions. Toward that end, the State Issues Working Group is exploring liaison relationships with leaders of state hospice and palliative care organizations. However, for the Academy to be successful in meeting its public policy goals, we must all play a role. Given the critical issues being decided in Washington, DC, and state capi-tals across the nation, we can no longer afford to not consider advocacy as part of our job description. Next on the agenda is building a grassroots network that can be mobilized to respond to calls to action—at both the state and federal levels—and increasing the resources available to Academy members so they have the informa-tion, training, and tools required to be effective advocates for their patients and the field. Identifying individuals to serve as “key contacts” in their states will also be criti-cal, and we’ll look for ways to connect these members so they can benefit from lessons learned by colleagues who have taken on similar issues elsewhere. To make this proj-ect succeed, however, we need your input. What issues are developing in your state? What advocacy experiences can you share that will help others as they promote hos-pice and palliative medicine within their states? Are there health policy issues about which you would like to solicit input from AAHPM members with relevant expertise or experience? Are you interested in serving on the Public Policy Committee or one of its working groups? Let us know by e-mailing advocacy@aahpm.org. Gregg K. VandeKieft, MD MA FAAHPM, chairs the AAHPM Public Policy Committee’s State Issues Working Group. Contact him at gregg.vandekieft@providence.org. In the News: AAHPM Member Advocates for Field at Fall AMA Meeting Chad D. Kollas, MD FACP FCLM FAAHPM, AAHPM’s Delegate to the American Medical Association (AMA), was one of nearly 500 physicians who gathered for the AMA House of Delegates Interim Meeting in New Orleans in November 2011. Kollas spoke on the house floor about a proposal encouraging state medical societies to develop standardized advance directive forms. © American Medical Association. Reprinted with permission. VOL. 13 Spiritula Care Program |
