Letters of Support from Commission Organizations
Click on any of the names below to jump to that organization's letter of support and/or comments.
AARP Minnesota
30 East 7th Street Suite 1200 / St. Paul, MN 55101
(651) 221-0101 / www.aarp.orgState Director Michele Kimball
AARP Minnesota is pleased to offer our support to the Minnesota Commission on End of Life Care on its’ final report and recommendations. We look forward to working with you in advancing the Commission’s focus on guiding principles for end of life care, access to care, education and public policy.
We are particularly pleased with the five guiding principles established by the Commission. As advocates for Minnesotans age 50 and older, we believe these principles provide an important framework for our members and their families as they encounter end of life issues.
Jay Phillips Center for Jewish-Christian Learning
St. John's University ~ University of St. Thomas
2115 Summit Avenue / St. Paul, MN 55105-1921 / (651) 962-5790Director Rabbi Barry Cytron
It is a pleasure to write this letter of strong support for the final report of the Minnesota Commission on End of Life Care. I have had the opportunity to read through the final report and feel confident the four areas of concentration developed by the commission are the most critical at this important moment in health care delivery in our state.
The work of the commission was handled with outstanding leadership by the commission co-chairs and the professional staff. The final report clearly and accurately reflects the lengthy deliberations of the commission and the sustained effort to heed the counsel and suggestions of those members of the public who addressed these issues over the life span of the commission.
As the report itself expresses it, the next step depends on us: the professional and public communities who will hopefully respond with vigor and compassion to these important recommendations.
Minnesota Board on Aging
444 Lafayette Road / St. Paul, MN 55155-3843
(651) 296-2770 / Toll free (800) 882-6262Chairman Ken Moritz
The Minnesota Board on Aging firmly supports the need to improve end of life care. And to that end, specifically supports the following principles and goals:
- End of life care should be shaped by the consumer’s informed and conscious decisions. The individual’s preferences for care should be acknowledged, respected and followed.
- Consumers and their families should be fully informed of their options and the consequences – including risks. In order to improve people’s ability to advocate for themselves, it is imperative that they are educated regarding what they should expect.
- Health care directives, health care power of attorney and other tools that allow persons to articulate their care preferences, should be promoted. If used, they should be acknowledged and respected by medical care providers.
- Excellent palliative care and excellent medical treatment are not mutually exclusive. Programs or models that force persons to choose one or the other do not represent good medical care.
The work of the Commission may be finished, but making the changes necessary are just beginning. We believe that the MBA could play a meaningful role in disseminating information about these issues to older people, their families, and service provider agencies throughout the state. We look forward to continuing to work together to improve end of life care in Minnesota and across the nation.
Minnesota Center for Health Care Ethics
601 25th Avenue South / Minneapolis, MN 55454
(651) 690-7895 / kggervais@stkate.eduDirector Karen Gervais
The Minnesota Center for Health Care Ethics has long been committed to improving care for those who are at the end of life. It is a major element of our mission to assist patients, families, health care professionals, students, educators, administrators, and policy makers in ethically informed decision-making.
We are pleased to endorse the Minnesota Commission on End of Life Care recommendations. We will be looking specifically at ways we can integrate the educational recommendations into our funded projects to improve end of life care.
Minnesota Center for Rural Health
600 East Superior Street Suite 404 / Duluth, MN 55802
(218) 727-9390 / www.ruralcenter.org/mcrhDirector Sally Buck
The Minnesota Center for Rural Health Board of Directors endorsed the MN Commission on End of Life Care Report. Our mission: to support locally based health care services and provide resources for rural and underserved communities. The Minnesota Center for Rural Health is a private non-profit statewide organization that was developed as a collaborative initiative of Minnesota's medical schools, health professional associations and the Minnesota Department of Health.
Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life
4249 Nicollet Avenue / Minneapolis, MN 55409
(612) 825-6831 / www.mccl.orgExecutive Director Scott Fischbach
Since 1968, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life has had only one goal, to protect innocent human life. For more than 30 years we have held that goal and worked on behalf of our 67,000 members and 225 chapters across this state.
We value the work of the Minnesota State Commission on End of Life Care and hold no objections to its recommendations. MCCL is pleased to have had the opportunity to work together with the Commission.
Minnesota Coalition for Death Education and Support
PO Box 50651 / Minneapolis, MN 55405
(612) 391-3051Chair Ben Wolfe
The Minnesota Coalition for Death Education and Support (MCDES) has been providing educational programs, newsletters and support dealing with end of life issues since 1977. Currently we have nearly 400 professional members made up of nurses, social workers, psychologists, chaplains, clergy, marriage and family therapists, hospice, long term care and funeral home personnel, educators, physicians and volunteers.
We support the findings of the Commission and endorse wholeheartedly its recommendations. MCDES has over the years provided conferences, newsletters and other opportunities for our members and professionals within the state to learn about end of life issues. We will make sure the Commission's guiding principles and also the areas of access to care, education and public policy are discussed among our membership.
This endorsement was passed unanimously at our December 4, 2001 MCDES board meeting.
Minnesota Council of Health Plans
2550 University Avenue West Suite 255 South / St. Paul, MN 55114
(651) 645-0099 / www.mnhealthplans.orgExecutive Director Michael Scandrett
We are pleased to support the recommendations from the report issued by the Minnesota Commission on End of Life Care. Please accept our congratulations on the excellent work of the Commission.
The Minnesota Council of Health Plans is a nonprofit trade association that represents the state's eight health plans. The Council and its members endorse a philosophy that emphasizes comprehensive coverage, prevention and health improvement, improvement of the quality and effectiveness of treatment, and coordination of care. This philosophy is in concordance with the Commission's.
We plan to support the Commission's work by identifying ways to implement the recommendations. For example, we will support the education recommendation by including information about the Commission and its findings in newsletters and other communications with our members.
Minnesota Department of Health
PO Box 64822 / St. Paul, MN 55164-0822
(651) 215-5800 / TDD/TTY: (651) 215-8980 / MN Relay Service: (800) 627-3529
www.health.state.mn.usCommissioner Jan Malcolm
On behalf of the Minnesota Department of Health I would like to commend the members of the Minnesota Commission to Improve End of Life Care for their collaborative efforts, hard work and dedication toward advancing end of life care in the State of Minnesota. Over the past 18 months the Commission discussed some very complex and somewhat controversial issues surrounding end of life care. Yet they managed to reach consensus on sound recommendations for going forward. We support their recommendations and intend to do what we can to help put this blueprint for reform into action. We encourage other organizations, as well as the community at large, to do the same.
As for the Department's commitment to carrying these recommendations forward, we will strive to do the following:
- Continue to raise the issue of end of life care as an important component of health system reform going forward;
- Provide education on end of life care to health care professionals and health care organizations. Specifically, MDH plans to offer training on end of life issues across all provider types, including nursing homes, assisted living, home health agencies, hospice providers, and hospitals. This training would incorporate the Commission's 5 Guiding Principles for Care and include a pain assessment and self-evaluation tool for interviewing family members after a loved one's death;
- Sponsor a reunion meeting for the members of the Minnesota Commission on End of Life Care to review progress made on recommendations approximately one year from January 2002; and,
- Discuss the possibility of conducting a small study or evaluation three years from January 2002 to measure progress made since the Commission released their recommendations. MDH Center for Health Statistics will work with the Minnesota Partnership to Improve End of Life Care to examine this possibility.
As always we are open to hearing suggestions from Commission members and other organizations on additional roles or responsibilities MDH should consider as it relates to advancing end of life care in the State of Minnesota.
Minnesota Department of Human Services
444 Lafayette Road North / St. Paul, MN 55155Commissioner Michael O’Keefe
The Minnesota Department of Human Services has been serving Minnesota citizens facing end-of-life issues for many years. One of our core values is to partner with communities to mobilize supports that help people function and succeed. Working with the Commission and its many organization representatives is consistent with this important value.
The Department is pleased to support the recommendations of the Minnesota Commission on End of Life Care. We are particularly interested in finding additional ways to incorporate the health-related recommendations into our purchasing strategies for the Minnesota Medical Assistance Program, the General Assistance Medical Care Program, and the MinnesotaCare Program.
Minnesota HomeCare Association
1711 West County Road B Suite 211 S / St. Paul, MN 55113
(651) 635-0607 / www.mnhomecare.orgExecutive Director Steven Lund
The Minnesota HomeCare Association (MHCA) is pleased to support the findings and recommendations published in the End of Life Care Commission Report. MHCA is a statewide, non-profit association whose purpose is to promote the delivery of quality health care and supportive services in a variety of home living environments. Included in these services is end of life care.
As part of MHCA’s mission to provide training and other education opportunities to our 250 members, we will be looking to incorporate the End of Life Care Commission’s educational recommendations into our ongoing programming schedule.
Minnesota Hospice Organization
1600 University Avenue West Suite 301 / St. Paul, MN 55104-3800
(651) 659-0423 / mho@mnhospice.org / www.mnhospice.orgExecutive Director Elinor Hands
The Minnesota Hospice Organization has long been committed to improving care for those who are at the end of life. Part of our mission is to provide information and education to our members about timely and important issues such as those addressed by the Commission.
We are pleased to support the Minnesota Commission on End of Life Care recommendations. We will be looking specifically at ways we can integrate the educational recommendations into our newsletters and communications with our members.
Minnesota Medical Association
3433 Broadway Street NE Suite 300 / Minneapolis, MN 55413
(612) 378-1875 / Toll free (800) 342-5662 / mma@mnmed.org / www.MMAonline.netChief Executive Officer Paul Sanders, MD
The Minnesota Medical Association has reviewed the report drafted by the Minnesota Commission on End of Life Care and is pleased to provide support for the report and recommendations contained therein. The Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) has long been committed to improving care for those who are at the end of life. Our organization has taken an active role in educating physicians and patients about end of life care.
We are particularly pleased to see that many of our current outreach and educational activities are captured in the Commission’s recommendations, including improving cultural awareness among health care providers, educating consumers about the utility of health care directives and improving awareness about the appropriate use of DNR orders outside of hospital setting. Of course, there is more that can be done, and the Commission report should be a useful vehicle for increasing awareness about the many issues that still need to be addressed.
Minnesota Partnership to Improve End of Life Care
1600 University Avenue West Suite 300 / St. Paul, MN 55104
(651) 917-4626Partnership Director Linda Norlander
The Minnesota Partnership to Improve End of Life Care would like to applaud the excellent work of the Commission on End of Life Care and the co-chairs for your dedication to improving end of life care in the state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Partnership has been pleased and proud to provide the staff support for the Commission, and we have enjoyed working together with the many organizations represented.
The Minnesota Partnership is dedicated to raising the standards of end of life care. The recommendations for improvement from the Commission are excellent guidelines that the Minnesota Partnership intends to use in the future as we continue our work to improve end of life care.
The Minnesota Partnership will help make the Commission recommendations a reality through:
- Collaboration with educational institutions throughout Minnesota to increase and improve the quality of end of life education for health care professionals and health professional students
- Publication and distribution of the Guiding Principles for End of Life Care within health care organizations, community organizations and the general public
- Promotion of increased public awareness of high quality end of life services available in Minnesota
- Continued work with a variety of organizations to bring hospice and palliative end of life services to communities in which there is a deficit of available care
Our thanks and congratulations to the hard working people that dedicated so much time and effort into making the Commission on End of Life Care a success!
Minnesota State Council on Disability
121 East 7th Place Suite 107 / St. Paul, MN 55101
(651) 296-6785 / V/TDD: (800) 945-8913 / council.disability@state.mn.us
www.disability.state.mn.usCommission representative Don Westergard
Members of the Minnesota State Council on Disability (MSCOD) and staff have reviewed the final report of the Commission on End of Life Care. We wish to commend the commission members on the high quality of the report, which certainly deals with a complex and difficult subject. The MSCOD appreciates being able to have been a partner in this project and have a representative on the commission
The MSCOD is an agency that collaborates, advocates, advises and provides information to expand opportunities, increase the quality of life, and empower all persons with disabilities. Through our network of local councils on disability located in greater Minnesota and other interested parties, the MSCOD would willingly participate in the activities of encouraging the widespread dissemination and implementation of the "Five Guiding Principles for End of Life Care", emphasizing quality of life issues for our constituency of persons with disabilities. Additionally, the State Council would likewise encourage the dissemination of the final report, and assist in the implementation of the final reports' recommendations in Education and Public Policy issues by sensitizing policy makers, the medical community, and the general public on specific needs and concerns of Minnesotans with disabilities and end of life issues.
We at the MSCOD look forward to cooperating with the Commission on End of Life Care in making the recommendations in the report a reality for Minnesota.
University of Minnesota Academic Health Center
420 Delaware Street SE / Minneapolis, MN 55455-0374
(612) 626-3700Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Frank Cerra, MD
On behalf of the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center (AHC) I would like to express my support for recommendations contained in the final report of the Minnesota Commission on End of Life Care. The Commission represented a broad cross-section of Minnesotans, from health care professionals and educators including five U of M faculty members, to organizational leaders and advocates for the elderly and the vulnerable, providing a well-rounded contest for addressing issues related to end of life care.
The Academic Health Center educates two-thirds of the state's health professionals. Improvements in end of life education in the AHC come from a growing awareness of the importance of end of life issues in health care by our students and faculty. We believe we have an important role to play in providing innovative interdisciplinary education opportunities for future health professionals so they are able to help meet patient and family needs near the end of life. The guiding principles outlined in the Minnesota Commission on End of Life Care will help the AHC achieve these goals.
The AHC is committed to teaching our students how to care for patients and clients across all stages of life. We recognize that teaching the principles of good end of life care not only help those who are dying and their loved ones, but also can translate into better care for patients throughout life. Honoring preferences, attending to physical and emotional symptoms, preparing patients for expected outcomes, and recognizing losses should be routine in health care. We thank the Commission for highlighting these issues and providing direction to those involved in teaching and providing end of life care.