On Wednesday, April 17, SDAHO’s COO, Tammy Hatting, participated in the Patient Quality of Life Coalition Lobby Day on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. The Patient Quality of Life Coalition was formed to advance the interests of patients and families facing serious illness, including survivors. The coalition includes more than 40 organizations dedicated to improving quality of care and quality of life for these adults and children. The reason for the visit was to show support for Senate Bill 2243, the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA). South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds is a co-sponsor on this bill, and SDAHO appreciates his support. The PCHETA Act will ensure patients and providers understand the benefits of palliative care and will build a healthcare workforce aligned with the nation’s evolving healthcare needs. The bill focuses on education, awareness, and research to help train the workforce in pain and symptom management, intensive communication and level of care coordination that addresses the episodic and long-term nature of patients living with serious and complex chronic illness.
Dr. Francine Arneson, palliative care physician at Avera Health, also participated in the hill visits. “Participating in Lobby Day was an exciting and rewarding experience. Since it was my first time lobbying in Washington DC, I learned a lot about the process and the importance of sharing our medical knowledge and voice with our legislators. I also had very rich networking opportunities with others that come from diverse personal and professional backgrounds but share the same passion that I do for palliative care. I am Looking forward to participating again in the future.”
For more information on Palliative Care, visit SDAHO today, at sdaho.org/palliative-care.
