NewsLine - August 2011 - (Page 3)

The Spirit of Generosity So Unique to Hospice Ethical behavior has long been a focus of work done by NHPCO. In 1999, we created our first Ethical Business Practices Task Force which led to the publication of the original Vital Bonds. That was updated on two occasions and was released as Ethical Principles in 2004. “Ethical Behavior and Consumer Rights” is also one of the 10 components of quality in NHPCO’s Quality Partners program and in our Standards of Practice for Hospice Programs. Ethical topics have also always been popular concurrent sessions at our conferences over the years. So the importance of ethical practices is not new. Now, we’re delighted to release an additional resource to support the field—a position statement on “Ethical Marketing Practices” which we share as this month’s cover story. This important document was developed by the NHPCO Ethics Committee and reflects nearly two years of thoughtful work and dedication. So I’d like to take this opportunity to applaud—and thank—the entire committee, with special thanks to committee chair, Dale Knee, president/CEO of Covenant Hospice. Their work reflects a spirit of generosity that I have also had the privilege to witness regularly among our membership—a willingness to volunteer time and share expertise in order to help fellow members in the field. NewsLine itself is an excellent example of this spirit of generosity. Each month, members and other experts make time to share information, without remuneration, in the hopes that it will help others. Take this issue…. Dr. Kelly Rhoades, chair of the Hospice and Palliative Studies Department of Madonna University, where she also teaches, gives us guidance on helping children grieve. NCHPP Nurse Section leader, Teresa Wheatley, talks about the changes introduced at Hospice of Lancaster that have helped improve their customer service and evening/weekend response times. And as this month’s Continuum feature—a favorite of mine—Pat Soenksen, the president/CEO of Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro, discusses a new and innovative collaboration that helped bring PACE services to the Greater Greensboro community. With this in mind, please keep us posted on what you are doing in your own organization for possible inclusion in the pages of NewsLine or in other NHPCO communications. If you are doing non-hospice work in the Continuum, we have a brief questionnaire that we ask you to complete—see page 34 for the link. If you have other news, please send an email to info@nhpco.org, to the attention of our Communications team. Enjoy this last month of summer! J. Donald Schumacher President/CEO NewsLine 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NewsLine - August 2011

Marketing Hospice: Ethical Practices
A Message From Don
We Earned Our Merit Badge in Clinical Excellence (display ad)
Recruiting Problems? HMR (display ad)
Helping Children Grieve
ChiPPS: A Gold Mine for Pediatric Palliative Care Resources
The Voice of NCHPP
Providing Seamless Hospice Care
Hospice in the Continuum: Partnering to Provide PACE
Collaboration. Big Picture Perspective. Masterful Results (display ad)
We Honor Veterans Products from Marketplace (display ad)
Back into the Spotlight: Hospice Behind Prison Walls
Free Online Videos About Hospice Care
WHV: Earning Your Stars May be Easier Than You Think
Hospice Outreach: Tailoring Your Message to Your Audience
New Pediatric Training Module
Member News and Notes
Regulatory Tip of the Month
Educational Offerings
Back Cover

NewsLine - August 2011