I am so pleased to share some exciting news. The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) has informed the DPH MA MOLST Advisory Subcommittee that they received the Subcommittee’s recommendation to adopt the National POLST form and process for use in Massachusetts, and as a result, is in process of developing a multi-year…

We are delighted to welcome the  Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC) as an Honoring Choices National Partner. C-TAC is dedicated to the ideal that all Americans with advanced illness receive comprehensive, high-quality, person- and family-centered care that is consistent with their goals and values and honors their dignity. We will achieve this by empowering…

Care Dimensions, an Honoring Choices Community Partner, has just launched the Care Dimensions Learning Institute to deliver education, workshops and resources on end-of-life topics such as hospice and palliative care, bereavement, advance care planning, and living with advanced illness. The Learning Institute aims to educate a range of learning groups, including healthcare professionals, community members, patients,…

The Guardianship Serious Illness-MOLST Advisory Committee (Guardianship Committee) is working diligently to ensure that all adults with serious illness, whether they have the capacity (ability) to make health care decisions or a Health Care Agent or Guardian is making decisions on their behalf, have equal access to high quality care all throughout their serious illness.…

Care Dimensions, an Honoring Choices Community Partner, provides hospice and palliative care in 95 communities in Massachusetts.  Additionally, the Care Dimensions Learning Institute and the “Voices of Care” blog provide education and tips on a range of end-of-life topics.   Dr. Talia Lewis is a full-time hospice and palliative care physician who provides palliative care consultations…

Baystate Health, an Honoring Choices Community Partner, and its Advance Care Planning team are leading the way to provide all patients with easy access to health care planning documents to direct their health care choices and receive quality care. Through my Baystate Health Patient Portal, patients can download and complete a free Honoring Choices Health…

Thank you to the Honoring Choices Partners and Regional Champions for hosting Health Care Planning Ambassador Workshops in 6 regions of the state. The Ambassador Workshops enhance the knowledge and skills of care providers, community professionals, nursing and medical students, and faith based and lay leaders to engage adults in care planning discussions and complete…

We are at an exciting crossroads for improving the way we help adults live well with serious illness. Since Massachusetts joined the National POLST Paradigm in 2017, the MA MOLST (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) Advisory Committee has been working diligently to bring our serious illness care and MOLST process into compliance with the national…

Greater Lynn Senior Services (GLSS), an Honoring Choices Community Partner, helps seniors and individuals living with disabilities connect to needed care on the North Shore, including Russian speaking adults and families.  GLSS staff were already using the Honoring Choices Russian Health Care Proxy to help adults choose a Health Care Agent, but needed its “sister…

Adults diagnosed with a serious advancing illness may experience considerable stress, resulting not only from living with a serious illness but from the complexities of making personal and medical decisions. The Honoring Choices Partners, who routinely engage adults in care planning conversations, experience first-hand the power of conversations to ease stress, build trust, and help…