OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center

Contributed by:
Nancy Tuftie, Director of Social Services – OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center

In the past 15 months, the OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa, Illinois, has received support from the OSF support ministry in many ways!

We use a lot of time to educate doctors and staff on the advantages of advanced care planning (ACP) for our patients. Communication has improved with doctors and staff when they explain the advantages as well as the charges in advanced medical treatment.

When the cost of the patient’s body and the false hope he can give to family and friends is explained, ACP facilitators are encouraged by this. The 2012 annual report has shown that ACP patients ended less anxiety and fear, giving them comforting, knowing that their doctor and family / friends understand their future wishes for medical care.

Integrate palliative care

Palliative care is integrated into the care of our patients. Last year, education for doctors and staff went well. The community has a better understanding of palliative care. They understand that this is specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses, emphasizing the relief of symptoms, pain and stress associated with serious illness.

The objective has always been to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. The palliative care team works with the primary care doctor to provide an additional support layer. This program is for anyone, at any age and at the stage of a serious illness. It can be provided with curative treatments. Statistics have proven palliative care care live 50% longer than non -palliative care patients.

The palliative care team consists of a doctor for palliative care, the ANP, the nurse, the social worker and pastoral care. We hope to add additional disciplines in the future and encourage primary care physicians to attend.

ACO support and model care

Care planning in advance, complement a power care attorney and offer palliative care consults links in the organizational model of responsible care. The future requires that we provide better quality of care, better patient care and results without “unnecessary expenditure”. It is our responsibility to ensure that palliative care remains integrated not only because it is a great advantage, but rather a must.

Support care becomes national

Recently, ABC News stressed that the importance of the ACP indicates: “This is a gift that you can offer to your family. True love is to inform them in writing and verbally for your future medical needs. ”

The New York Times recently had an article on “Futile Care at Life’s End” that Dr. Joseph Piccone, main vice-president of the mission and ethics for Osf Healthcare, shared. Dr. Neil Wenger, professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles said in the article: “This cost for the patient in terms of prolonged death and families acting on inappropriate hope”, shows that some patients receive advanced medical treatment which is not beneficial to them.

The Wall Street Journal recently experienced an article on “The ultimate end -of -life plan” that Robert Maguire, MD, internal medical doctor, hospital director of the hospice and champion of palliative care at the OSF Saint Elizabeth. It was a well written story on a woman who had trouble with the medical team to ensure that her end -of -life wishes were respected. This proves the need for the need for many more conversations with patients concerning their conditions, including the details of the advantages as well as the charges.

Final reflections

Everyone wants the best quality of life as long as possible. The opportunity for everyone is now. Talk, talk, talk to your family and doctors. You are the one who gives your own life as well as your sense of death. Most adults organize their future for their property thanks to a final will and the will and the property attorney, etc. We must all start now! I have seen people who plan the end of life – the suffering and negative impacts on everyone are much less for these individuals, their families and all society.

Families believe to provide everything possible to help a loved one, and sometimes allow death will be this aid. Doing everything with great care and love (with serious illnesses) will guide us to comfort care. We were born and we are all going to die. Taking care of a loved one does not force us to use each medical treatment available to prolong life.

Thanks to the planning of advanced care, the palliative care teams and the hospice, OSF support will continue to be extremely involved in the future of our health care.

Last update: December 26, 2017