At one of the workshops this morning, a speaker made the statement that chaplains were using scripted and particularized spiritual assessment “tools” that may project the chaplain’s assumptions and block the particular expression of the patient’s spirituality. When I sought to correct that assertion during the Q&A, I was told by one of the speakers and several members of the audience that I was incorrect.

The facts of the case are as follows. The standard definition of “spiritual assessment” used in professional healthcare chaplaincy in North America is.

A more extensive [in-depth, on-going] process of active listening to a patient’s story as it unfolds in a relationship with a professional chaplain and summarizing the needs and resources that emerge in that process. The summary includes a spiritual care plan with expected outcomes which should be communicated to the rest of the treatment team.

Fitchett, G., & Canada, A. L. (2010). The Role of Religion/Spirituality in Coping with Cancer: Evidence, Assessment, and Intervention. In J. C. Holland (Ed.). Psycho-oncology, 2nd Edition. New York: Oxford University Press.

This definition clearly does not support the use of a “tool”. This does not mean that no chaplain uses a tool. It only means that this use does not conform to best practice.

There certainly is a substantial lack of clarity here.

The Joint Commission and others do suggest a spiritual assessment. They do not require over even suggest the use of a “tool” which means that the definition above works. Any groups who are requiring the use of a tool are misreading the standards.

The fact is that several institutions that I know of have received advanced accreditation in palliative care without a spiritual assessment “tool”. One of those received a perfect score.

There is a widespread misunderstanding between spiritual “screening”, “history”, and “assessment” tools. For instance, FICA and HOPE are history tools, not assessment tools. They are not recommended for use by chaplains.

At the end of the day, there is a lot of misinformation out there on this topic. I would hope that practitioners would read the regs closely and draw their own conclusions about what is and what is not actually “required”.

George Handzo, BCC, CSSBB
President, Handzo Consulting

This is my second AAHPM-HPNA conference and I have gravitated to the Wounded Healer talk both years. The care and treatments we provide to our patients and loved ones, can take a toll on us as providers. But as Henri Nouwen states our woundedness we can become a source of life for others.

I provide primary and specialty care to persons with ALS, their loved ones and caregivers. I have been the one to provide comfort and guidance. This year death became significant as I lost my mother three weeks ago. When loss becomes personal, everything changes. The daughter, nurse and individual all wrestled with the lack of control over all of it.

I completed a palliative care certificate course at the University of Colorado School of Nursing this past year. The academics of the course and the support of my colleagues helped me through my mother’s subsequent death. I also realized how little information on Palliative Care with Parkinson’s disease exists.

As I sit through the Plenary Session Friday morning “Our Exit Strategy: Denying Death its Strangeness” David Oliver and Debra Parker Oliver I am learning how death has become a teaching moment, at teaching us how to live.

We must take time to read, research, ask questions, reflect, pray, and support and talk to each other. Communication is the key. This George Bernard Shaw quote is at the bottom of all my e-mails: “The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

I never knew that Palliative Care would be my passion. But you only get one chance to die well…so let’s do it well.

Patricia Reisinger MS, CRRN, FNP, GNP
Nurse Practitioner
Spinal Cord Disorders Clinic – ALS
Denver, CO

The release today of the 3rd edition of the NCP Guidelines was a wonderful occasion for everyone involved in palliative care, but especially for chaplains. While the palliative care model emphasizes all four dimensions of care- physical, emotional, social and spiritual, it is often the case that the spiritual dimension is neglected in practice. As Betty Ferrell said today, if you are not doing exceptional spiritual care, you are not doing palliative care. The point here is that lots of institutions are claiming to do palliative care without any kind of spiritual care- let alone spiritual care that could be called exceptional.

There are multiple causes of this situation. In general, health care providers are least comfortable dealing with the spiritual dimension of care. It is also clearly true that there is less evidence for the efficacy of spiritual care in the palliative care process than for any of the other domains. Finally, chaplains themselves have contributed by often being unwilling to be team players and be accountable for their practice to a team. Connie Dahlin was correct today when she emphasized the point of how training for palliative care teams has progressed by emphasizing that even chaplains now have certification in palliative care. As usual, we are the last to the party.

The new guidelines give all of us, but especially spiritual care providers, new “evidence” to support our contention that spiritual care should be a full partner in palliative care. Domain 5 which covers spiritual, religious and existential care has been vastly expanded to reflect the results of the National Consensus Project in 2009 and other efforts. The professional chaplaincy organizations in the US have responded by endorsing these guidelines. On behalf of professional chaplains and all who value the spiritual dimension of care, thanks to Betty Ferrell, Connie Dahlin, Diane Meier and the whole task force for their efforts on behalf of the care of the spirit.

George Handzo, BCC, CSSBB

I was sitting in the airport ready to board the plane to New Orleans yesterday and felt ill. OMG I realized I had been masking several symptoms for over a week. This was my first trip to NOLA I couldn’t be sick! Quickly I started web surfing for urgent cares and pharmacies near the Convention Center. All of these locations were less than a one-mile walking distance.

Concentra Urgent Care
318 Baronne Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
504-561-1051

Walgreens
900 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
504-568-1271

CVS Pharmacy
800 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
504-528-7099

I feel better now. I hope you all stay well during your visit during the AAHPM and HPNA Annual Assembly.

Patricia Reisinger, MS, CRRN, FNP, GNP
Nurse Practitioner
Spinal Cord Disorders Clinic- ALS
Denver, CO

As I write this post, the AAHPM & HPNA Annual Assembly hasn’t officially started, but I learned important lessons in leadership today. Some I anticipated – others were unexpected – but when I reflect on my day, here’s one that sticks with me (I will share another soon).

I had the opportunity to sit in on a portion of a special pre-course offering entitled, “You’re Not Just a Doctor Anymore: Finding Influence Through Effective Physician Leadership.” This session was sponsored by the AAHPM Leadership Development Committee and the American College Physician Executives (ACPE). The facilitator, Kevin O’Connor, shared a YouTube video featuring an unemployed guy named Matt who set out to do something simple – travel the world and videotape himself dancing at various locations where he visited. Matt’s 14 months and 42 country journey was later edited into a powerful 4 minutes video entitled, Where the Hell is Matt? which has now been viewed by more than 45 million people via YouTube. Since that time, he has returned to many of the same countries to dance again, this time, however, he has replaced his folksy stomp with more culturally appropriate steps taught by locals (see his 2012 video montage for more of Matt dancing, also available on YouTube).

What do Matt’s travels and this unexpected Internet dance sensation have to do with physician leadership? Quite a bit, it turns out – at least according to the pre-course participants. O’Connor suggested dance is a metaphor for leadership and influence which generated an interesting discussion among session participants. Some of the conversation centered around the following concepts and reflections:

· Doing something simple can inspire other to join in – it’s contagious
· Actions motivate; words aren’t always required
· What you set out to do may result in something positive and bigger than you imagine
· There is much to be learned from others if and when we take the time to watch and listen

This prompted further thoughts:

· Who is the “Matt” in your work environment?
· Does this person realize the impact he or she is having?
· How does this apply to the work of physicians in hospice and palliative medicine?
· Does our “happy dance” attract others? Is it sustainable? Does it inspire others to join in?

Sometimes the simple things we do reach people in ways we don’t expect. So keep on dancing.

Steve Smith, CAE
Executive Director/CEO
American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM)

You’re Not Just a Doctor Anymore: The New Art of Leadership is a pre-conference workshop I had the pleasure to attend. Everything you didn’t learn in medical and nursing school you learn from Kevin O’Connor, is how it all
started. Mr. O’Conner led with a metaphor that informed and shaped the content for 5 hour session. “What a difference a degree makes! From 211 to 212, water goes from being hot to powering a train. What matters if we add an extra degree to what we do everyday? That email, conversation, or phone call…just one more degree.:”

Mr. O’Conner offered a practical approach and a reframing of mindfulness to our roles as leaders in the organizations we all serve. Not surprisingly the entire session was about relationships.

The Extra Degree Starts Here

These are my take home notes, not to be place in a folder in a box in the basement. Rather these are action points to be incorporated in my daily life and shared in this blog for others who may have like interest in this practical approach to a reframed leadership mindfulness to our own relationships and social styles; personal or professional.
1. Paraphrase as a first response. Shine your light on the other person.
2. Consider questions first before conclusions.
3. Encourage: Affirm what you heard that you liked: You know what I like about what you said… Remember you can build a fire on embers……..focus on their pilot light and perhaps it will glow more
4. Link and connect with the word “and” and not “but”. I also avoid the word “just”.
5. Respond with a thank you or a paraphrase
6. Ask and listen…..everyone loves hearing a good listener
7. Listen in meetings, pause, summarize the content and add in a new thought
8. Know, understand and align with the language of other social styles.
9. Think about the product of the product. The obvious product from the American Girl store is the doll. The
product of the product for the parent is the day of memory making with their daughter. What is the product
of the product of a palliative care consult?
10. Use emotional narrative to get around the prevailing winds of organizational talking points.
11. Demonstrate interest, support and encouragement in others.
12. Be a student and not a teacher.

This workshop has been a transformative experience that lends itself well to the practical implementation in my daily work. I welcome comments and questions about the workshop.

Cory Ingram, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Family and Palliative Medicine
Mayo Clinic, College of Medicine

Medical Director – Palliative Care
Chair of the Palliative Medicine Specialty Council
Mayo Clinic Health System

Over the next few days, more than 2,400 physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals will be descending upon “The Big Easy.” This doesn’t include exhibitors, guests and staff members who will also join us for all or some of the program.

Preparations for this conference starts more than a year in advance and onsite staging at the convention center begins days before the first attendees arrive.

So what goes on behind the scenes of the Annual Assembly? For the first time this year, a handful of AAHPM staff members will be snapping photos, sharing insights and perhaps revealing some “secrets” about how everything comes together.

I arrived on Monday afternoon with two of our exceptional “meeting planners” – Vanessa Mobley and Kelly Rostine – who plan, coordinate and oversee all of the logistics associated with the conference. This includes coordination with the hotels, convention center, caterers, registration management, a/v technicians decorators (that pipe, drape, stage and signage doesn’t just get there on its own!), hotel accommodations, receptions, concurrent and plenary rooms, exhibit hall set up and much more. The document that details all of the specification for the four day program is nearly 200 pages long. I often describe it as a “three ring circus” although truthfully, it’s more like a 12 ring circus since that’s how many educational sessions are taking place simultaneously most of the day.

Monday and Tuesday are mostly set-up days when staff begin arriving and unpack, along with the laborers, a/v and computer technicians and others responsible for setting up and supporting the conference. Here are some “behind the scene” photos of what things look like before everyone arrives. See you soon and travel safe!

Steve Smith, CAE
Executive Director/CEO
American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM)

Follow me at @ssmithaahpm

Have you ever seen an exhibit hall before the booth and carpets are put into place? Not pretty. But it will be by Wednesday night!

The Great Hall of the New Orleans Earnest N. Morial Convention Center before it is transformed into the space that will host four dynamic plenary sessions.

Registration