100 Multi-disciplined Care Providers Launch "MOLST: Meeting the Challenge"

We are off to a great start in our year-long initiative to generate an open dialogue with care providers and consumers regarding  MOLST (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) and the serious illness journey. Over 100 multi-disciplined care providers came together on April 24 in our first-ever MOLST Workshop, co-hosted by the Massachusetts Medical Society. Our goal is to help craft a MOLST process that is responsive to an adult’s changing needs and choices all through their serious illness journey.

We want to thank our incredible panelists (pictured here) for leading us in an expansive discussion. The panel helped to clarify state and assisted living residence regulations and  Emergency Medical Service protocols, and the court’s roles in granting Guardians MOLST decision-making authority. The panel and the participants discussed the physician’s role in effective discussions, the essential role social workers, case managers, and clergy have in the MOLST process, and the systematic challenges of delivering consistent quality care across care settings. We are grateful to all the participants who generously shared their expertise, raised important questions, and created a priorities list of next steps. We captured it all in the April 24 MOLST Workshop “Outcomes Report and To-Do Checklist”.

Panelists (L-to R): Attorney Kim LaDue, Probate & Family Court; Kate Granigan, COO Life Care Advocates; Rev. Dr. Ruben Exantus, Hospice Chaplain, Care Dimensions; Mark Miller, Director OEMS; Dr. Suzana Makowski, Palliative Care, UMass Memorial Hospital ; Darrell Villaruz, Oversees MOLST, Dept. Public Health; Secretary Alice Bonner, MA .Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Thanks for Anne Williams, Care Dimensions for the photo.

April 24 MOLST Workshop Outcomes Report and To-Do ChecklistAll care providers can use the suggestions and checklists in the Outcomes Report to start a MOLST discussion at your organization. We’ll use the Outcomes Report to build on and expand suggestions in our workshop series.  To read the report, Click Here.

The MOLST Meeting the Challenge Webpage.  We’ve created a MOLST webpage specifically to bring you up-to-date information, new tools and training and report on systematic changes as they occur throughout the year.  Click Here.

MOLST: Meeting the Challenge Workshops.  Care providers can attend a MOLST workshop and join the dialogue.  Here’s the list below.

• April 24,   9:30-Noon, The Conference Center in Waltham, co-Hosted Massachusetts Medical Society

• June 1,  4pm-6pm, Cape Cod Hospital. Hyannis. co-hosted by Cape Cod Healthcare

• September 19, 2-4:30pm, Whitney Conference Center, Holyoke, co-hosted by Western MA Transitions in Care Cross Continuum, sponsored by Baystate Hospital.

• October, Date/time TBA, co-hosted by Worcester Honoring Choices Partners, Worcester.

For more information, please see the MOLST webpage. Click Here.