Hospice Foundation of America
E-Newsletter
Volume 6, Issue 1
January 2006
http://www.hospicefoundation.org  

Message from David Abrams, President

As many of you may know, Jack D. Gordon, Chairman and CEO of Hospice Foundation of America since 1990, died in December, in Palm Desert, California. As members of the hospice community, we understand the universality of the experience of grief and loss. While our credentials say we are experts, the pain of the loss of our leader, colleague and friend is not mitigated. What is different for us is our personal perspective on Jack’s remarkable life and the great impact he has had on our society, particularly in the areas of healthcare and end-of-life care. The facts of his life are well known. What is less well known, except to those who knew Jack, is his deep humanity which was so completely absorbed into his being.

In an effort to celebrate Jack while grieving his loss, we hope to share some insight into that life and the unique perspective that made him a powerful force in the hospice community and such a formidable advocate for social change.

As for us at HFA, Jack’s intellect and his intellectual spirit infused all that we do at the Foundation, and it is our intention to consider that as both inspiration and challenge for the future. That would please Jack.

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Focus on: Honoring Jack D. Gordon

At his death, Gordon was Chairman and CEO of Hospice Foundation of America. He assumed leadership of the organization in 1990 and during his tenure the Foundation grew from a local, South Florida fund-raising organization to a recognized national leader in end-of-life care. Gordon brought his unique understanding of people and the dynamics of organizations – forged during a lifetime of community service, political passion, and a life-long quest for knowledge – to improve care of the dying by being an uncompromising advocate for the hospice concept of care. Prior to his work at HFA, Gordon was an esteemed legislator. In 1972, Gordon was elected to the Florida State Senate and was re-elected five times, serving until 1992. During his 20-year tenure in the Florida Senate, he chaired every major committee, was elected President Pro Tem in 1983-84, and chosen by his fellow senators to serve as majority leader in 1989. His legacy of legislation will continue to impact Floridians for generations.

Only through this reflection on his extraordinary life can we begin to understand how and why he was able to have such success in transforming our organization and affecting the hospice movement – and to help people understand his lasting legacy.

He was the kind of American the United States was created for: A person who took responsibility for himself and his country. Jack figured that the U.S. was a very good place that needed improving. He didn’t wait around for time or other people to do the work: He just went out and became a successful politician and a distinguished activist: And he worked hard at improving things for people who needed help; minorities and people nearing the end of life.
Patricia King and Roger Wilkins

Jack Gordon's vision and inspiration are evident in each year's annual Hospice Foundation of America's Living with Grief teleconference. Over the past six years the strength of our collaborative effort in the Philadelphia region has grown in part due to HFA-inspired dialogues among professionals to improve the quality of end-of-life care.
Willo Carey and Brian Duke, WHYY Wider Horizons

Many in the hospice and palliative care community will remember Jack for creating the innovative ‘Living With Grief’ satellite teleconference. HFA’s annual teleconference brought an outstanding professional development opportunity to communities across North America. Over the history of this program, hundreds of thousands of professionals and community members have learned more about living and coping with loss.
J. Donald Schumacher, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

I did not know Jack Gordon personally. Yet, like countless others I have benefited from his work. Over the years I have learned so much from the teleconferences sponsored by HFA. Indirectly, Jack impacted the lives of the patients and families I minister to in my work as a hospital and nursing home chaplain. I am sorry for his death and offer my deepest sympathy and prayers to his loved ones.
Linda Piotrowski

Read more about Jack Gordon’s background and legacy.

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Pain Management at the End of Life

The panelists for HFA’s 2006 teleconference will be meeting in Washington this month for an intensive planning session for the upcoming April teleconference. More information will be featured in the February issue of this e-newsletter.

One goal of HFA’s upcoming teleconference is to connect professionals and consumers with important resources on pain management. This month’s featured resource is Partners for Understanding Pain, a loose consortium of organizations with an interest in the personal, economic, and social impact of pain on our society. Members include health-condition-specific groups as well as those with broader mandates that touch the lives of people with chronic, acute, and cancer pain. The Partners mission is to create greater understanding among health care professionals, individuals and families who are struggling with pain management, the business community, legislators, and the general public that pain is a serious public health issue; offer a comprehensive network of resources and knowledge about issues in pain management through the members, each of which brings its unique perspective to the dialogue; and build understanding and support that can help people with chronic, acute and cancer pain lead better lives. Purdue Pharma L.P., a sponsor of HFA’s 2006 teleconference, is also a Gold Level Sponsor of Partners for Understanding Pain.

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News from the Hospice World

Looking for data about end-of-life care? Log on to www.edeledata.org. EDELE (Epidemiology of Dying and End-of-Life Care) is a project of The Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care and The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. This new website provides an online, searchable catalogue of over 300 web pages that provide data on: demographics for people who died and their families, healthcare and community resources for end-of-life care, use of these resources, and outcome and satisfaction with care. The data are useful to healthcare providers, advocacy organizations, health services researchers, and state policy makers for understanding patient populations, increasing access to care, supporting public policy reform, and planning research projects.

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Site Coordinator’s Corner

Early Registration Deadline approaching: If you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to register now to host a teleconference site--the site registration fee is only $20 for Site Coordinators who register before January 15th.

And here’s an added benefit of registering as a Site Coordinator--all sites will be automatically entered in a drawing to win one free box of companion books for this year’s broadcast!

If you have questions or concerns about your registration, please send an email to telecon@hospicefoundation.org.

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