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End of Life: St. Joseph Health System Works to Enhance the Final Days

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End of life: St. Joseph Health System works to enhance the final days
by Kelley Devlin-Lake

St. Joseph Health System Humboldt County leadership recently gave the green light to its Ethics Coordinating Committee (ECC) to move forward on a project to enhance the quality of the dying experience for terminally ill patients and their families.

The goal is to support patients' choices to die where they want in an atmosphere that enhances dignity, comfort and opportunity for spiritual growth.

A work group has been identified to research current best practice models both within the St. Joseph Health System and across the country. Once collected, the models will be analyzed by staff and physicians. Friends and family members of patients who have died will be interviewed to learn about aspects of care that were and were not helpful. The work group will identify strengths and weaknesses in the current care model and draft a proposal for any improvements to end-of-life care.

The work group will be led by ECC Co-Chair Scott Sattler, MD, and myself.

Kelley Devlin-Lake, RN, BSN, OCN, is an Oncology Nurse Clinician and member of the St. Joseph Health System Ethics Coordinating Committee. The St. Joseph group is a part of the End-Of-Life Coalition organized by Hospice of Humboldt and KEET-TV.

One-time article Copyright 2000 by Humboldt Senior Resource Center .