Full-Day Seminar for Professionals: Advance Care Planning for Persons with Developmental Disabilities   

UHS Palliative Medicine and the Care Compass Network will offer a free full-day seminar for direct care and administrative staff on the process of facilitating end-of-life care for individuals with developmental disabilities. Information will be provided on palliative care management and the legal processes surrounding end-of-life care. (Please note: This is a repeat of the May 3 event, offered again due to its success – please send staff members who were unable to attend in May. If you attended and enjoyed the spring event, please stay tuned for future events from UHS Palliative Care.)
This event will take place on Friday, September 27, from 8 AM to 4 PM at the Silo Restaurant, 203 Moran Road, Greene, NY. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Speakers for the event include:
• Philip J. Dzwonczyk, MD, UHS Palliative Medicine Medical Director
• Katie Orem, MPH, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Geriatrics and Palliative Care Program Manager and Electronic Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (eMOLST) Administrator
• Laura Bevacqua, Mental Hygiene Legal Services Principal Attorney
• Laura Monthie, Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs Surrogate Decision-Making Committee Program Director

Participants can expect to gain an understanding of the decision-making process for life- sustaining treatments such as CPR, mechanical ventilation or feeding tubes in patients with a developmental disability. Professionals will learn how to competently and compassionately guide families through the end-of-life planning process. Said Dr. Dzwonczyk, “This is a complex and time-consuming process, and helping families make decisions early – in the outpatient care setting – is essential.”

An educational evening on the same topic will be presented for family members on September 26 at Traditions at the Glen in Johnson City, NY. 

UHS is a locally owned, not-for-profit hospital and healthcare system serving Greater Binghamton and surrounding counties. Founded in 1981, UHS provides a full range of medical, surgical, rehabilitative and long-term care services throughout New York’s Southern Tier.

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