WHAT IS THE COALITION
The Connecticut Coalition to Improve End-of-Life Care was founded in 1998 to develop a comprehensive approach to improving the care and support of dying patients and their families in Connecticut during the end of life and bereavement periods.
Since the Coalition began, members have included government agencies, community groups, schools of nursing, medical schools, long term care providers, home health care and hospice providers, and individuals committed to realizing the Coalition’s mission. The Coalition is actively sponsored by the Connecticut Departments of Social Services and Public Health. It is funded through grants, donations and membership dues.
OUR MISSION
The mission of the Connecticut Coalition to Improve End-of-Life Care is to improve the care of people who are dying and their families in the state of Connecticut and to ensure that every individual has information about and access to compassionate, quality end-of-life care.
The Coalition’s primary objectives in fulfilling its mission are to:
- Identify, disseminate and promote education on end-of-life care for health care professionals, the general public and policy makers;
- Encourage the translation of research in end-of-life care into practice;
- Promote effective end-of-life care through public policy.
Click here to see the by-laws
Web-Based Survey to Assess Unmet EOL Educational Needs
Among Connecticut Health Care Providers
In 2009, the CT Department of Public Health funded the Coalition to develop and administer a web-based survey. The purpose of the survey was to identify the educational needs of health care professionals who provide end-of-life care in Connecticut in order to inform the design of educational initiatives. The 659 participants included nurses, nurses’ aides, physicians, social workers, pharmacists, chaplains, funeral directors, and administrators.
Identified needs included help dealing with cultural and spiritual matters at the end of life, and having supportive resources at work. Older age and more years in practice were associated with adequate education in both end-of-life communication and overall knowledge of end-of-life care, as well as with adequate knowledge to care for the dying. Focus groups with health care professionals confirmed survey results and highlighted the need for emotional processing of end-of-life issues to enhance personal and professional comfort. A copy of the full report, submitted to the State by Ruth McCorkle, can be found here. [link to pdf]
14th Annual Meeting held on Tuesday, December 4th at Elim Park Place in Cheshire
This year, the CT Coalition to Improve End-of-Life Care presented the Excellence in Achievement for Public Service in End-of-Life award to the following people in recognition of work on the development and adoption of CT's revised hospice regulations:
State Senators Andrew Roraback and Theresa Bielinski Gerratana; State Representatives David A. Scribner, Daniel J. Fox, Jason Perillo, Arthur J. O'Neill and Elizabeth Ritter; Norma D. Gyle, former State Representative and former Deputy Commissioner of the CT Department of Public Heath; and Wendy Furniss and Suzanne Blancaflor from the CT Department of Public Health.
Here are some links related to this award:
Click here for Press Release
Click here for Article about State Representative Arthur O'Neill receiving the award
Click here for a write up from Representative Daneil J. Fox's website
Click here for a write up from Representative David A. Scribner's website
Other awards presented:
Safe Passage Awards for Outstanding Clinical Care:
Laura Borrelli, RN, BSN
Cindy A. Jayanetti, FNP, APRN, BC
Ernest Moritz, MD
Excellence in Achievement for Public Service in End-of-Life award:
Nealy Zimmermann, MA
Click here to see photo taken by Julia Sorenson at the event from State Representative Arthur O'Neill's website
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
"Risky Business"
Norma D. Gyle, RN PhD
Former Deputy Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Public Health
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Order Updated Coalition Booklet Today
The Connecticut Coalition to Improve End-of-Life Care has updated their booklet entitled "Beginning the Conversation about Death, Dying and End-of-Life Care in Connecticut" and has recently reduced the cost to $5/copy. Please click here for the purchase order form.
Department of Public Health Awards two Grants to the Coalition
The Coalition submitted two proposals in response to RFP #2011-0908 both of which were selected.
The Option B proposal is to organize, implement, evaluate and disseminate a two-day train the trainer ELNEC geriatric end-of-life training.
The Option C proposal is to organize, implement and evaluate two one-day conferences based on the ELNEC Geriatric curriculum.
Both proposals incorporate recommendations of the Coalition's 2008/2009 Assessing the Unmet Needs of Health Care Providers Using a Web-based Survey.