About

General Outreach to the Community Work Group

William P. Densmore, Chair

Board member Chris McCluskey; Andrew Davis, Davis Advertising; Ray Delisle, Diocese of Worcester Director of Communications; Dennis Irish, Vanguard Health Systems; Carol Seager, Carol Seager Associates

Develop Publications

Accomplished: After a thorough review of the many available publications to assist the process of advance care planning, the General Outreach Work group Partnership guided the designed of A Guide For A Better Ending–Assure Your Final Wishes, a 6 x 9, eight-page brochure with sections on why and how to consider and discuss your wishes, what care you should expect from health care providers, and how to prepare the needed documents. Before publications were committed to printing, tests were conducted for language or concepts that would be offensive to specific cultures or religions. About 30,000 copies have been distributed, and another 20,000 are on order. Thirty thousand copies of an 8-1/2 x 11, three-fold promotional leaflet have also been made available with the catch phrase Don’t You Want A Better Ending?

Publicity for Advance Care Planning,
Discussion and Directives

Accomplished: A website provides complete information about the Partnership, with downloadable versions of A Guide for a Better Ending and the forms for making ones wishes known and designating a health care agent. 

Contacts with key media people have produced good coverage of the work of the Partnership. The Worcester Telegram and Gazette has provided four news stories, an editorial and a four columns piece. WOMAG did a One On One interview with Dr. Brownie Wheeler. Parent Care magazine published an editorial and article, and there were two appearances on radio talk shows.

A Speaker’s Bureau has been formed to facilitate dissemination of A Guide for a Better Ending to community groups. Thus far 13 people have been trained, including legal and healthcare professionals.

The work group advised on the design of Community Advisory Council meetings and the recent first annual meeting, with State Senator Richard Moore as guest speaker and the presentation of “Making a Difference” awards for the outstanding contributions of three community members for projects for improving end-of-life care in Central MA.

Planned: The General Outreach Work group will continue as an advisory group for the marketing and outreach programs described under Support Programs. Members are available for consultation.