April: National Health Care Decisions Month
Organizations across Alachua County worked to raise awareness about documenting one's health care wishes.
The Alachua County Commission has declared the month of April National Health Care Decisions Month throughout Alachua County. Advance care planning involves making health care choices, executing advance directives and informing our loved ones. Completion of an advance directive allows an individual to state his or her wishes for care, even during a period of incapacity such as after an unexpected illness or accident or at the end of life.
UF, UF Health and organizations across the county, including LifeQuest Organ Recovery Services and Haven Hospice, worked to raise awareness about the importance of documenting one’s health care wishes.
“Before I Die” walls were installed at UF Health Sun Terrace, J. Wayne Reitz Union at UF, Santa Fe College and other locations. The walls were public art projects that enabled people to express their creativity and jot down bucket list items. Information at the sites also encouraged participants to document their medical preferences.
Take a peek at the pictures below for a look at the National Health Care Decisions Month initiative.
Tenisha Wilson, a fourth-year UF College of Medicine student and the first African-American woman to graduate from the UF M.D./Ph.D. Training Program, prepares to write on the "Before I Die" wall on the UF Health Sun Terrace.
Pictured from the UF Health Sebastian Ferrero Office of Clinical Quality and Patient Safety (from left) Janelle Alongi, quality improvement intern, Anne Meiring, senior quality improvement specialist, Christine Cassisi, director of Patient Experience, and Abby Wolz, quality improvement intern. The team is showing off the proclamation declaring April 2018 as National Healthcare Decisions Month in Alachua County.
Anne Meiring accepts the proclamation from Alachua County Commissioner Ken Cornell.
UF College of Medicine student Joey Whelihan, left, is interviewed by WUFT-FM. He helped a family member complete an advance directive as part of an ethics class assignment. UF College of Medicine student and UF Health Sebastian Ferrero Office of Clinical Quality and Patient Safety quality improvement intern Abby Wolz, far right, is interviewed by WUFT-TV and CBS4 News.
Want to know what Alachua County is saying about National Health Care Decisions Month? Read stories published in publications around the area about the initiative.
Anne Meiring, Anthony Clarizio and Sheri Kittelson wrote an article for The Gainesville Sun on advance care planning and the importance of having conversations about medical care choices.
Veronika Vernachio, UF Health intern, wrote a guest column for the Independent Florida Alligator on how college students should independently make a decision about their health care and how they want their health care decisions handled during emergencies.
CBS4News article on how “Before I Die” walls posted all over Gainesville gave citizens the chance to write future ambitions and paved the way to “start the conversation about how you want to die.”
WCJB-TV20 story on how the “Before I Die” walls encourage the Gainesville community to “reflect on their lives and encourage them to write out an advance directive.”
Visit ufhealth.org/advance-directives on how you can start planning your own advance directives, learning about types of advance directives, organ donations, common questions, classes and resources. Email advdir@shands.ufl.edu for more questions.