Oregon POLST Program News

In 1991, the OHSU Center for Ethics in Health Care convened a team of Oregon health care leaders to design a better way to honor patient wishes near the end of life. After several years of testing, the Center for Ethics launched the Oregon POLST Program. Other states began expressing interest in Oregon’s pioneering POLST experience, and currently 21 states have endorsed POLST Programs (the most recent additions are Kansas and Missouri). In January, after 13 years of having the Center for Ethics serve as the fiscal home of the National POLST Paradigm, the National office became financially independent. The Center will continue to serve as the home of the Oregon POLST Program, with Susan Tolle as its Chair and Valerie Jimenez as its Executive Director. The Oregon POLST Program looks forward to the opportunity to deploy greater resources and energy in leading the next round of innovation and research.

National POLST Paradigm Policy Supports Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants Signing POLST Paradigm Forms

"On December 15, 2016, the National POLST Paradigm Task Force approved the following statement, 'The National POLST Paradigm Task Force (NPPTF) recommends that physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants be permitted to participate in the POLST Paradigm process and sign POLST Paradigm Forms.' " (NPP Newsletter, 2/17, (http://us12.campaign-archive2.com/?u=316b810ca22a5c8fb3210e871&id=40012bdeb4&e=5aadfab244)

What doctors, not insurance companies, should be sharing with patients

"It’s the conversation many avoid for too long: What kind of medical treatment do you want if you are frail or seriously ill? Do you want whatever treatment is necessary, even if it means a trip to the hospital or being on a breathing machine? Do you want comfort measures only, inside the walls of your own home?" (OHSU News, 1/9, https://news.ohsu.edu/2017/01/09/what-doctors-not-insurance-companies-should-be-sharing-with-patients)

March 3, 2017: All-City Palliative Care. David Barnard, PhD, JD will present "Gerontius's Dream: An Interpretation of Palliative Care" at Adventist Medical Center. Click here to view the event.

April 5-6, 2017: OSU Gerontology Conference: Aging Art of Living. On April 5, Susan Tolle, MD, Gwen Dayton, JD, Ruth Gulyas, Fred Steele, MPH, JD, and Christian Hale, JD will present "POLST: Understanding Regulations, Implementing Systems Change with the Goal of Honoring Patient Preferences" at OSU. Click here to view the event.

April 27, 2017: The Madeline Brill Nelson Speaker Series in Ethics Education. Stephen G. Post, PhD will present "Why Deeply Forgetful People Matter: Hope, Self-Identity and Health Care Ethics for Individuals with Dementia" at the OHSU Auditorium. Click here to view the event.