"EXCEL" Meeting Minutes
March 14, 2000

Please also note that the list serve address has changed. It is now: excel@vtmd.org. If you wish to send a message to the list serve type the new address into the To: field and push send.

If you have any questions please contact Stephanie Lane at 802-223-7898.

Present
Tim Thompson, M.D., Arnold Golodetz, M.D., Diana Peirce, Ginny Fry, Denise Niemira, M.D., Johns, Julie Tonks, Madeleine Mongan

MEETING WITH THE VAHHS BOARD
Tim and Arnold discussed their meeting with the board of the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (VAHHS) on March 8, 2000. They discussed the possibility of developing mission statements and local efforts to address end of life care in communities. The VAHHS board unanimously endorsed the Excel project. Tim will follow up by sending a letter to individual hospitals explaining the Excel Project and requesting support. The idea is to get the hospitals to put resources into end-of-life care to help form consortiums with hospices and nursing homes.

EDUCATIONAL EFFORT IN BRATTLEBORO
Arnold and John and others are planning a series of educational programs addressing end of life care planning that will be held in Brattleboro in June. On Friday and Saturday June 2, 2000 and June 3, 2000, John Arnold and Judy Kinley will do a training on educating and counseling patients concerning end of life decisions. On June 12, 2000 Arnold will conduct a grand rounds on end of life care for the medical staff at Brattleboro hospital. On June 19, 2000 Zail Berry, MD will present a one-hour program for the medical staff on best practices in palliative care. Excel committee members expressed interest in replicating this program in Central Vermont and other areas of the state.
 

EMS - DNR
John Campbell reported that a meeting to discuss creating a policy to address EMS DNR orders has been scheduled for April 27th at Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice from 6 to 8:00 p.m. Dan Manz, and Wayne Misselbeck, M.D. will be attending from the Department of Health.

VPQHC QUALITY PAGE
The page on end of life care for the of VPQHC Quality Report is near completion. A draft was circulated and reviewed at the meeting.

HOSPICE AND EXCEL MEETING - JUNE
The Excel agenda for the end of life care meeting following the Hospice Council meeting at the Lake Morey Inn in June was finalized. Registration information should be circulated soon. Denise will be raising money for this conference again this year.

STATE HEALTH PLAN
Arnold will redraft the three goals on end of life care for inclusion in the Vermont State Health Plan which is being prepared by the Department of Health. The goals include conducting regional training to support advanced care planning, developing protocols for management of pain and other symptoms, and promoting regional teams committed to improving end of life care.

WEB PAGE
Stephanie Lane has loaded the Excel contact list, minutes and other information on an EXCEL web page on the VMS web page. Task force lists and reports will be loaded on next. The Web address is www.vtmd.org. Stephanie and Madeleine request comments and suggestions for the Web page.

BILL MOYERS' PROGRAM
Bill Moyers will be hosting a program on end of life care that will air in on four evenings in September and again in November on Vermont Public Television. After each national program there will be an opportunity for local programming and panels on end of life care. Ginny and Diana will be attending a planning meeting for these programs and will coordinate with Denise. Excel members interested in participating on panels should contact Ginny, Diana or Denise for more information.

GUIDELINE ORDERS
The finalized Hospice and Palliative Care Symptom Relief Guidelines will be presented to the VMS Council for endorsement on Saturday March 25, 2000.