State Resources
Connecticut State Palliative Care Advisory Council Website: http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3117&q=537876
Connecticut Association for Healthcare at Home (CAHCH):
The Connecticut Association for Healthcare at Home is the largest member group of home health and hospice care leaders championing home-based solutions to foster cost-effective, person-centered healthcare in the setting people prefer most - their own home. Hospice agencies are listed at: https://m360.cthealthcareathome.org/frontend/search.aspx?cs=3222
Connecticut Cancer Partnership:
http://ctcancerpartnership.org/
The Connecticut Cancer Partnership is a broad and diverse coalition of individuals and organizations representing stakeholders in Connecticut's cancer community. Its overall goal is to reduce the burden of cancer (incidence, morbidity, mortality, and disability) and to improve the quality of life of people with cancer in Connecticut. The 20014 -2017 Connecticut Cancer Plan includes sections addressing both palliative care and hospice care needs in the state. CT Cancer Partnership: Palliative & Hospice Committee
Kanarek Center for Palliative Care Nursing Education:
https://www.fairfield.edu/undergraduate/academics/schools-and-colleges/egan-school-of-nursing-and-health-studies/kanarek-center-for-palliative-care/index.htmlThe Mission of the Kanarek Center for Palliative Care Nursing Education is to advance nursing leadership and foster interprofessional collaboration that enhances the lives of patients and families in palliative and end-of-life care through education, administration, practice, research and policy. By developing the next generation of specialized leaders in the field, KCPC strives to ensure that all nursing graduates and nurses in partnering healthcare facilities integrate high quality palliative healthcare into clinical practice. The Center further seeks to generate consumer- and provider-driven communication that serves as a regional and national resource to inspire understanding of best practices in palliative and end-of-life care.
Educating Social Workers in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (ESPEC)
https://www.socialworkers.org/espec
Educating Social Workers in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (ESPEC) is an innovative training program designed for health social workers by social workers to promote the integration of primary palliative care skills into clinical practice. Program components include interactive online coursework, live, synchronous instructor-led training, monthly mentorship, and leadership training. The state-of-the-art curriculum presents videos of patient and family encounters, highlighting best social work practices using the framework of the eight domains of palliative care. Interactive training techniques are designed to engage the learner and create a new community of practice.
National Resources:
National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care(NCP): http://www.nationalconsensusproject.org
"The purpose of the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care is to promote the implementation of Clinical Practice Guidelines that ensure care of consistent and high quality, and that guide the development and structure of new and existing palliative care services."
NCP Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care 3rd edition 2013. The Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care promote quality palliative care, foster consistent and high standards in palliative care, and encourage continuity of care across settings. http://www.nationalconsensusproject.org/NCP_Clinical_Practice_Guidelines_3rd_Edition.pdf
NCP Clinical Practice Guidelines 4th Edition is scheduled for publication summer 2018. The goal of the 4th edition of the NCP Guidelines is to improve access to quality palliative care for all people with serious illness, regardless of setting diagnosis, prognosis, or age. https://www.nationalcoalitionhpc.org/ncp-guidelines-2018/
National Consensus Task Force members:
American Academy of Hospice & Palliative Medicine (AAHPM): http://www.aahpm.org
The Academy is the professional organization for physicians specializing in hospice and palliative medicine and is dedicated to expanding access of patients and families to high quality palliative care, and advancing the discipline of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, through professional education and training, development of a specialist workforce, support for clinical practice standards, research and public policy.
For details about board certification in hospice & palliative medicine: http://www.aahpm.org/certification/default/index.html
Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC):http://www.capc.org
CAPC provides health care professionals with the tools, training and technical assistance necessary to start and sustain successful palliative care programs in hospitals and other health care settings.
CAPC maintains a state by state report card on access to palliative care in our nation’s hospitals. Find the CT report at: http://www.capc.org/reportcard
Hospice & Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA): http://www.hpna.org
HPNA is the nation's largest and oldest professional nursing organization dedicated to promoting excellence in palliative nursing care.
For details about board certification in hospice & palliative nursing care: http://www.nbchpn.org
National Association of Social Workers (NASW): http://www.socialworkers.org
NASW is the membership organization for social workers. It has developed standards for social work practice in palliative & end of life care, and offers specialty certification.
Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO): http://www.nhpco.org
NHPCO is the largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States. The organization is committed to improving end of life care and expanding access to hospice care with the goal of profoundly enhancing quality of life for people dying in America and their loved ones.
National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC): http://www.npcrc.org
NPCRC is committed to stimulating, developing, and funding research directed at improving care for seriously ill patients and their families.
Other National Resources for Palliative Care:
Mapping Community Palliative Care Project:
Mapping Community Palliative Care is building a comprehensive inventory of community palliative care programs across health care settings.
The project will support the expansion of community palliative care by identifying models of service delivery and providing summary and comparative data for the field. And it will make it easier for patients, families, caregivers, and practitioners to find palliative care services in their community.
If you are a community-based palliative care program, put yourself on the map!
Get Palliative Care:
https://getpalliativecare.org/provider-directory/
The Palliative Care Provider Directory is a resource to help locate palliative care in different areas of the country.
Hospice Compare:
https://www.medicare.gov/hospicecompare/
Hospice Compare reports information on hospices across the nation and allows patients, family members, and health care providers to get a snapshot of the quality of care each hospice provides. You can compare hospices based on important indicators of quality, like the percentage of patients checked for pain or who are asked about their preferences for life-sustaining treatment