Patient Portals can be powerful tools that offer patients 24/7 secure access to view their medical information and manage their health care decisions from their computer or phones. However we found in a recent survey that not all portals are “created equal”. Patient Portals, provided by  physician’s offices, hospitals and health systems, offer their patients user-friendly sections…

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1.5 million people in the US get sepsis and more than 250,000 die from it each year. Without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death. It is also a leading cause for hospital re-admissions. Healthcentric Advisors, an…

The Getting Started Tool Kit has become a Massachusetts favorite to complete your Health Care Proxy, a Personal Directive (Living Will) and start a planning discussion with your family and care providers. Now you can listen & watch short videos to make your own health care plan. The Getting Started Tool Kit video series, like the…

We are thrilled to be collaborating with the Alzheimer’s Association, an Honoring Choices Alliance Partner,  to cross-train our respective partners and staff, to start early and effective planning discussions to know and honor an individual’s care choices. Planning ahead and all through a progressive dementia diagnosis is essential to ensure we understand an adult’s values…

“Every care provider can be a first responder to help patients diagnosed with a serious illness explore palliative care as an added layer of treatment and support,” says Elizabeth J.Collins, MD, Palliative Care Medical Director, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center. In this free recorded webinar, “Palliative Care: Aligning the Team Around the Patient”,  Dr. Collins provides a helpful framework…

Health Care Planning Ambassadors engage adults, 18 years old & older, in powerful health care planning discussions using the Honoring Choices MA “Getting Started Tool Kit”.  Over 100 Ambassadors, who are seniors,  community volunteers and professional staff, recently attended statewide Ambassador Workshops to enhance their health care planning knowledge and skills to confidentially help adults…

WATERTOWN, MA – Tufts Health Plan Foundation announced a grant of $45,000 to Honoring Choices Massachusetts to support the expansion of their Health Care Planning Ambassador Program statewide and to Rhode Island and New Hampshire. This is one of 16 new community investments totaling nearly $1.8 million that reflect the Foundation’s commitment to make our…

On Tuesday, June 19, 2018, Honoring Choices is co-sponsoring a unique workshop for all clinicians and care providers along with Honoring Choices Partners the Massachusetts Medical Society, American Cancer Society, Hospice & Palliative Care Federation of MA and Lahey Health. Many physicians and clinical care teams have not received formal training in palliative medicine yet…

As many good ideas do, it began, with a simple question at a recent membership meeting of the MA Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors (MA Coalition). The MA Coalition’s members, quality and safety professionals from health care, community organizations and state agencies, were having a thoughtful exchange with Ellen DiPaola, President, Honoring Choices…

Our 4th Annual April National Health Care Decisions Month celebration is underway. The Honoring Choices Partners & Friends will shortly receive a “April Celebration Packet” of fun event ideas,  MA planning documents and flyers to plan your own activities & events. Our popular “April Calendar of Events” will be posted on the Honoring Choices website by March 15…