Rowan Hospice & Palliative Care, a collaboration of Rowan Regional Hospice and Hospice & Palliative CareCenter, will be one of the sponsors of a conference, “Conversations Today or Crisis Tomorrow: Planning Ahead for Life’s Final Journey,” Tuesday, Nov. 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Crystal Lounge at Catawba College, 2220 W. Innes St. in Salisbury. Rowan Hospice & Palliative Care brought together two teams of professionals who have served generations of patients and families in the region for decades in Rowan, Davie, Davidson, Iredell, Cabarrus, Stanly, Forsyth, Guilford, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Yadkin and Wilkes counties.
Sponsors have made this program free to the public. In lieu of all the issues and questions regarding healthcare reform, this opportunity provides people and healthcare professionals living and working in these areas an opportunity to learn from national and regional experts about the ways in which advanced planning can positively impact patients and their families. This is one in a series of forums that are designed to empower families to “start the conversation” about their final wishes prior to a medical crisis, and to better communicate those wishes to their healthcare provider.
Keynote speakers include Dr. Michael Lalor, chief medical officer for Rowan Hospice & Palliative Care; Dr. Chetan N. Amin, doctor of osteopathic medicine at Piedmont Family Medicine in Salisbury and a specialist in family and geriatric medicine; Susanna Lund, a grief counselor and board-certified art therapist; and the Rev. Harold Jordan, chaplain at Rowan Hospice & Palliative Care. Regional professionals will lead panel discussions on topics ranging form the importance of communicating your wishes from the perspective of healthcare professionals, to real-life stories about how proper execution of advance directives can alleviate the pain and suffering of both patient and caregiver. Christine Brown, vice president of business development for Rowan Hospice & Palliative CareCenter, along with CEO Brian Payne, will close the conference with issues pertaining to the 13-county region.
Nurses and other healthcare professionals can receive free 5.3 credit hours by attending the conference. To register, go to hospicecarecenter.org/seriesRSVP by Nov. 7, or call 704-637-7645.