New Poll: Doctors overwhelmingly support palliative care at end of life

Doctors see uninformed patients, lack of resources as barriers to palliative care

From National Journal and The Regence Foundation

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 15, 2011—A nationwide poll of doctors released today by National Journal and The Regence Foundation finds physicians near-unanimous in their support for prioritizing end-of-life options such as palliative care. However, the poll also revealed notable hesitations about how to handle end-of-life discussions with patients as well as barriers to expanding access to palliative care.

According to the poll - the last in a three-part series called “Living Well at the End of Life: A National Conversation” - 96% of the 500 board-certified physicians surveyed believe enhancing the quality of life for seriously ill patients is more important than extending life as long as possible. When the same question was posed to Americans as a whole in February, 71% of the respondents professed that belief.

In February’s national poll, only 37% of Americans overall agreed that the health care system spends too much trying to extend the lives of seriously ill patients, with 55% saying the system has the responsibility to spend whatever it takes. Today’s poll shows physicians view the situation differently, with 79% saying the system spends too much, and only 21% taking the opposite view. The physicians are also in near-unanimous agreement (96%) that the health care system should place a higher priority on providing palliative care to all patients who need and want it.

However, despite those strong feelings of support, a large percentage of physicians (42%) expressed concern that emphasizing palliative care could interfere with doing whatever it takes to help patients extend their lives as long as possible. Two-thirds of the physicians who have discussed palliative care with their patients say the patients are not well-informed about their options, and about a quarter say they’re reluctant to recommend palliative care because their patients may believe they’re not doing everything possible to extend their lives. Physicians identify these issues, as well as limitations in resources and services, as significant barriers to providing palliative care.

“This path-breaking series of polls has provided an unprecedented portrait of how average Americans and physicians alike approach the complex and emotionally fraught issues at the end of life,” said National Journal editorial director Ronald Brownstein. “This latest survey shows an overwhelming consensus among physicians that all elements of the medical community need to do a better job in providing options to patients at this difficult time - but that many obstacles remain in the way of reaching that goal.”

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Spirit Mountain Community Fund Seeks 2011 Ye? lan Lima Award Nominations

October 31st, 2011
Spirit Mountain Community Fund Full Article

Spirit Mountain Community Fund (SMCF) frequently celebrates the success and remarkable achievements of nonprofits located within our 11 county service area. However, not often enough do individuals within these inspiring organizations receive the recognition they deserve.  So, in 2010 SMCF introduced our first Ye? lan Lima Award initiative and announced the first two award winners. The Ye? lan Lima award originates from a common Native American interpretation of the open hand symbol (above) signifying human work or achievement.  We recognize that among the exemplars of a thriving organization a common ingredient leading to success is the dedication, commitment, and unwavering effort of individuals.

Our search for this year’s Ye? lan Lima Award winners require your assistance by identifying someone who’s courageous, innovative, and unprecedented efforts as well as their sustained excellence of performance demand recognition.  It may be a co-worker, peer, or someone you know that is affiliated with a partner nonprofit organization. We hope you will assist us in finding that one special “helping hand” person in your organization or community by sending us your nomination.

Accordingly, SMCF announces that nomination letters for the this year’s Ye? lan Lima Award are being solicited and due by November 30, 2011. There are two separate award categories: The first is for a paid non-management staff person and the second is for a non-paid volunteer person.

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Applications Open for Nike Employee Grant Program of The Oregon Community Foundation

Applications are now open for the next round of the Nike Employee Grant Program of The Oregon Community Foundation!  Qualified non-profits and schools are encouraged to apply.

Fourth funding cycle concludes on December 1, 2011.

Starting this cycle, the grant criteria have been expanded to include sustainability, with these project guidelines:

  • Engage children and families in improving natural environments in their communities.
  • Reduce negative impact on the environment by increasing use of environmentally, socially and economically sustainable practices

The full set of guidelines and the application are available online at www.oregoncf.org/nike.

The Nike Employee Grant Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation was established in 2010 and seeks to benefit communities where Nike employees live, work, and play in the greater Portland area (Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Yamhill, and Columbia counties in Oregon and Clark County in southwest Washington).

Administered in partnership with The Oregon Community Foundation, it awards up to $600,000 per year to local nonprofit organizations or schools that wish to join Nike in creating positive social and/or sustainable environmental change.

Regence Names Angela Hult Director of Corporate Philanthropy

PORTLAND, Ore. – Regence BlueCross BlueShield announced today it has named Angela Hult as its new director of corporate philanthropy. Hult, who is Regence’s director of community and business relations in Oregon, will transition to her new role on October 10.

In her new position she will oversee Regence’s corporate philanthropic and community involvement efforts, as well as employee giving and volunteerism. She will also serve as executive director of The Regence Foundation, a grantmaking organization that partners with local nonprofits to transform health care and expand access to palliative care.

“Angela has a unique combination of excellent communication skills, deep industry knowledge and an impressive track record of community involvement,” said Peggy Maguire, Regence senior vice president and Regence Foundation board chair. “I am confident Angela’s leadership will help us take an already strong and active community investment program to the next level.”

Hult’s career with Regence has focused on external-facing roles that have enabled her to represent the company in a wide range of public forums. As director of community and business relations for Oregon she was responsible for leading the company’s efforts to build strong relationships with employers, business and civic leaders, and community groups across Oregon. Those efforts included launching a permanent, Regence sponsored exhibit promoting nutrition and fitness for children at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and developing an award-winning campaign in Southern Oregon that enlisted high school students to create videos challenging their peers and the community to embrace healthier habits.

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M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust Awards Nearly $8.3 Million in Grants to Nonprofits

At our summer quarter grants meeting, the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust awarded nearly $8.3 million through 42 grants to non-profit organizations to continue our mission of enriching the quality of life in the Pacific Northwest by providing grants and enrichment programs for organizations seeking to strengthen the region’s educational, spiritual, social, and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways.

Attached is the list of organizations with whom we have partnered in this recent round of grants, the projects in which they are engaged, and their contact information. More information on the Trust and the grants program are available on our website at www.murdock-trust.org.

I am also happy to provide a link to our 2010 annual report which celebrates the 35 years of partnerships the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust has forged with nonprofits all across the northwest. We highlighted a number of noteworthy grants that have been made in each of the five states and in each of the four sectors in which we work. We have sought to steadily build the capacity of those organizations and leaders who are making a difference and—I think you will agree—who are doing great work!

Thanks for your ongoing interest in the work of the non-profit organizations in our region and the thousands of staff and volunteers who serve in our communities in so many creative ways.

Sincerely,
M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust

Grantmaker Leadership Panel Report September 2011
Communications Report August 2011

Murdock Trust Names Jennifer Larson-Cody as Technology & Information Systems Manager


The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust in Vancouver, Washington, is pleased to announce that Jennifer Larson-Cody is the new Technology & Information Systems Manager. Jennifer came to the trust in 1998 and has held several positions on the financial/investment team, where she utilized solid leadership, management, and technology skills. In her current role she will be responsible for ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of the trust’s IT system and strategic use of technology. Jennifer holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon. A native of Vancouver, she is an active contributor to the community and serves on the boards of Vancouver Rotary Foundation and Clark County Emergency Services Agency. Recently she was awarded the Rotary district 5100 “Innovation Generator” award for her website and social media efforts.

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