Today is “Self-Care Monday” and I’ll be taking a little time off to have cataract surgery. In this brief audio recording you will learn three simple steps for being in the present moment with a patient that can help you feel more focused and less stressed. I hope you’ll take time for some self-care too as you work to help others experience a better end of life and prepare for your own future path. See you next week for a regular episode where I’ll share a new interview!
Learn about the “dark side” of the hospice business and how to identify and support organizations that are truly patient-centered.
My guest Jeffrey Lycan has spent the last 21 years of his hospice and palliative care nursing career as an advocate for improving care and quality of life for patients at the end of life. He will discuss the recent alarming reports issued by the OIG (Office of the Inspector General) about instances of negligent care in some hospices, the worrisome trend toward profit-centered rather than patient-centered care, and how to support community-based hospices that are preserving Cicely Saunders’ legacy of end-of-life care. Learn about the Why It Matters Campaign he has started:
The two OIG reports from July 2019 that exposed fraudulent and negligent care in some hospices (see links below)
What a “deficiency” in a hospice survey actually means
Business changes in the hospice industry that have contributed to flaws in the care being offered
How some hospices now focus on profit first rather than patient care first
How profiteering harms the hospice system, patients and staff
New MedPAC proposal for lowering the annual per patient cap for hospices and why it may be a good thing
How consumers can choose the best hospice for their loved ones
How to register a complaint about hospice care
The campaign Why It Matters: Preserving the Legacy of Hospice
As originally championed by Cicely Saunders, MD, the founder of the modern hospice movement, the hospice model of care was based on providing end-of-life care with both compassion and science, and offering this care through engaged community-based, not- for-profit programs.
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This episode is the first of a 4-part series that introduces you to the members of a palliative care team. Today Dr. Colin Scibetta discusses his role as the physician on the team and how palliative care differs from hospice care. In future episodes you’ll hear from the team nurse, social worker and chaplain.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
As this episode airs I am enjoying a trip through Spain, including cycling in the Andalucia region! I’ll be back home in a few weeks to report on the trip. Follow me on Instagram to see my photos at kwyattmd or this link: https://www.instagram.com/kwyattmd/
FEATURE PRESENTATION:
This interview will cover:
What palliative care consists of
The difference between palliative care and hospice
The benefits of palliative care for patients
How the whole-person approach of palliative medicine also benefits care providers
Why Providence Institute for Human Caring (et al) was awarded the Circle of Life Award from the American Hospital Association
Colin Scibetta MD is a fellowship-trained palliative medicine physician who complete his undergrad in neuroscience and biology at Wesleyan University. He then moved to Ecuador where he worked on a health initiative for indigenous communities impacted by oil development. Dr. Scibetta did his undergraduate medical training at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, where he also completed an internal medicine residency and a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine.
Remember to tune in next week for Part 2 of this palliative care series! If you enjoy this content be sure to share it with others who might find it helpful and consider leaving a review on iTunes.