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| Bar Bulletin |
July,
2003 |
| July Articles |
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Health and End-Of-Life Care Focus of N.A.A.G Conference
By Camilla O. McRory
On May 15, 2003,
“The Vision vs. the Reality: Improving End-of-Life Care” was the focus of
the Baltimore chapter of the National Association of Attorneys General’s (NAAG)
conference. This was the third in a series of listening conferences on
this subject presented during the tenure of W. A. Drew Edmondson,
President of NAAG and Attorney General of Oklahoma. Every year the NAAG
President chooses a topic to be the focus of her or his year in office.
General Edmondson, in his own words per the conference materials,
“initiated a focus by the nation’s chief legal officers on protection of .
. . `ultimate’ consumers of health in the provision of effective pain
management, honoring advance decisionmaking and competence in the
education and regulation of health care professionals.”
While this may
sound a bit dry, it was anything but. Ira Byock, M.D., set the stage as
keynote speaker by describing our health care system in crisis in his
presentation “Dying in America: a Consumer Crisis and Opportunity for
Leadership.” No doubt all readers have experienced this crisis for
themselves or when trying to obtain needed health care for a child, parent
or other friend or family member. Dr. Byock made the compelling case that
our basic expectations for quality of care within the medical system are
simply not being met. Dr. Byock had the following advice for patients
wanting quality care at the end of life (and who among us would not): if
in hospital, get out. If not in hospital, then stay out. It was disturbing
but sound advice.
Our own Jack
Schwartz was a star among those assigned the task of enlightening the
Attorneys General on their extremely important role in the struggle to
improve end-of-life care. Possibly putting his own professional life at
risk, Jack urged the Attorneys General to reflect on their last interview
on their last day as Attorney General, and that inevitable question: “What
were your most lasting achievements as Attorney General?” Jack counseled
them to have fashioned their service as Attorney General so at least one
answer will be: “I helped to improve end-of-life care in my State.” When
he said this it actually sent shivers up my spine, revitalizing the now
dormant desire to do good in the community, with which most of us
graduated from law school.
In addition to Dr.
Byock, Donald Schumacher, President, National Hospice Palliative Care
Organization, spoke about “The Challenge of Hospice Care,” beginning by
reminding us of the dichotomy between the (virtually) 0 percent desire to
die and the reality of 100 percent mortality. That makes one sit up and
think at half-past-nine in the morning. There followed three panel
presentations in the format of a “consumer complaint” with responses from
dynamic, dedicated professionals in their respective fields, on the
subjects: “Will My Pain Be Managed?”, “Will My Wishes Be Honored?” and
“Will I Receive Competent Care?” The consumer presenter for the second
panel was Chris Cruzan White, sister of Nancy Cruzan, the young woman
whose protracted death became a United States Supreme Court case of Time
Magazine cover fame, and which case lead Congress to pass the Patient Self
Determination Act of 1990.
There is a great
deal more to report regarding the N.A.A.G. conference, but no more space
in this Bar Bulletin. So if this brief article has piqued your
interest or at least your curiosity, then join the Elder Law Section so
you will receive the next newsletter in which will report in more depth on
this genuinely worthwhile conference.
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