EPEC (October 8-9, 2004)

Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care
October 8-9, 2004, Hilo, Hawai`i

EPEC: What It Is
Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (EPEC) is a curriculum developed at the American Medical Association to educate physicians and other healthcare professionals on fundamental palliative and end-of-life skills including:

• Managing Pain and Symptoms
• Withholding/Withdrawing Treatment
• Communicating Bad News
• Managing Anxiety, Delirium, Depression
• Negotiating Goals of Care
• Medical Futility
• Ethical Decision Making
• Legal Issues in End-of-Life Care

EPEC: Why It’s Needed
A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that end-of-life care in the U.S. remains ‘woefully inadequate’. The study found that:

• One in four people who died did not receive enough pain medication and sometimes received none at all.
• One in two patients did not receive sufficient emotional support. This was 1.3 times more likely in the case in an
  institution.
• One in four respondents expressed concern over physician communication and treatment decisions.
• Twenty-one percent complained that the dying person was not always treated with respect. Compared with a home setting, this was three times higher in a hospital.

In a similar vein, the Final Report of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Living and Dying with Dignity observed:

• Most die in acute care facilities receiving care that is aggressively administered. Sometimes the result is additional suffering and indignity.
• The evidence of over-treatment is compelling. Often the care the dying receive is, in reality, a heroic attempt to prolong life for relatively short periods.
• Healthcare providers rarely recommend an acceptance of death even when it is clearly the most rational decision.
• Hospice care is not considered often or early enough

Faculty for the Hilo EPEC

Daniel Fischberg, MD, PhD

Medical Director, Dept. of Pain and Symptom Mgmt., The Queen’s Medical Center, Honolulu

Faculty, John Burns School of Medicine

Board Certified in Palliative & Pain Medicine

Master EPEC Trainer

Leonard Howard, MD

OB-Gyn, Retired

Director of EPEC in Hawaii

Terry Melvin, MD

Medical Director Hospice of Chattanooga

Instructor, Department of Internal and Family Medicine, University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University

Ethics Committee, National Hospice Org

Paul Rousseau, MD

Associate Chief of Staff for Geriatrics & Extended Care, Director of Palliative Care, VA Medical Center, Phoenix

Faculty, Arizona State University

Board Certified in Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine

Sponsors reserve the right to cancel or reschedule programs, and to change faculty or contents of program due to unforeseen circumstances

Hawaii Naniloa Resort
The EPEC conference site is the Hawaii Naniloa Resort.

Hilo Hospitality

The Hilo area offers an array of comfortable and attractive hotel and B&B accommodations plus an abundance of fashionable restaurants replete with fine-dining experiences.

Conference attendees and their families will find numerous shopping and recreational opportunities—from museums and art galleries to volcano and rainforest excursions.

Continuing Education Units

For Physicians: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of Hilo Medical Center and Hospice of Hilo. Hilo Medical Center is accredited by the Hawaii Medical Association (HMA) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Hilo Medical Center designates this educational activity for a maximum of (12) category 1 credits toward the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those credits he/she actually spent in the educational activity. For information please call Jayna L. Weatherwax 808-974-4739.

For Nurses: AFSCME is approved to provide continuing education by the Hawaii Nurses Association Continuing Education Committee, appointed by the Hawaii Nurses Association Board of Directors as approvers of continuing education in nursing.

AFSCME requires all organizations and/or sponsors that charge a fee to give a full refund in cases of course cancellation. However, no refunds will be given in cases of non-attendance by the registrant.

Any statements made, or products displayed, by vendors are at the sole discretion of the vendors and are not necessarily endorsed by the CE provider. The number of approved CEUs is pending.

For Social Workers: This training has been approved by the National Association of Social Workers – Hawaii Chapter for 12 continuing education units.

CONFERENCE EXCURSIONS

Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Adventure
Island Outfitters

For EPEC delegates, family members and guests who are interested in a Mauna Kea Stargazing trip, we are pleased to provide the following information and contact associated with Island Outfitters, a Big Island adventure tour company. Please make your reservations independently. Reservations will not be taken through the conference registration. Enjoy the experience!

Contact Information
Tom McAuliffe – Isle Hike Outfitters
Phone (toll-free) 800-840-9974
Local (808) 966-7933
Fax (808) 966-6931
Email: islehike@aloha.com
Address: PO Box 4441, Hilo, Hawai’i 96720

Cost
$100.00 per person.
Methods of payment include credit card, travelers check, cash.

Deposit/Minimus/Cancellations
A $50.00 deposit is required to confirm your reservation
A 72-hour cancellation policy is in effect to insure refund
A minimum of 7-passsengers is required to confirm trip
A maximum of 20 participants will be accepted

Trip Description
Depart Naniloa Hotel at 3:00 p.m. in an air-conditioned 4-wheel drive 15-passenger van. After stops at 6,000 feet and 9,300 feet to acclimate to altitude we proceed to the nearly 14,000 feet summit of Mauna Kea to view a spectacular sunset above the clouds. Here we begin to understand why this is considered the world’s premier site for astronomical observation. A total of 12 international observatories are located here, the highest concentration on a single summit anywhere, proves this to be true. After sunset we return to the visitor center at 9,300 feet for stargazing in a more comfortable atmosphere. Here astronomers are on hand with telescopes to help you comprehend the unrivaled view of the heavens. A small museum and gift shop are located at the Elison Onizuka Visitor Center. After several hours of stargazing we are ready to return to the hotel by 11:00 p.m.

Advisory
Due to extreme altitude this trip is not advised for those in poor health, pregnant or heart and respiratory conditions. Scuba divers should be aware of dangers associated with altitude and children under 16 are not permitted. Weather conditions understandably cannot be guaranteed.

Time
The entire tour is scheduled for 8-hour total, including acclimation and drive time. Departure is at 3:00 p.m. returning around 11:00 p.m.

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park (HVNP)

Field Excursion

Date: Sunday, October 10th, 2004
Departure: 8:30am
Return: 3:30pm
Cost: $75 per person (Adults and Children 11 years and older)
Lunch and cold drinks included
Minimum Number: 12
Maximum Number: 23

The University reserves the right to cancel the trip should the minimum number of participants not be achieved.

Trip Description
Discover the awesome power of volcanic eruptions while visiting the most active volcano in the world. Sulfur banks, steam vents, lava flows, craters, lava tubes and expert geologists add to this powerful experience.

The 45-minute journey will depart from the Hawai`i Naniloa Hotel for Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park where you’ll explore the lush, green forestry and volcanic calderas. The volcano, in its extraordinary magnificence, is a force of nature that the Hawaiian people understand as a “way of life”. Early Polynesians understood the nature of the volcanoes, and through their respect, they connected with Madame Pele through chants, hula and stories.

The first stop within the park includes the Kilauea Visitor Center, where a resource geologist will provide historical information on past and present lava flows, ethnobotany and geological events. Your next stop will be Kilauea Iki Crater where you’ll take and extraordinary hike along the trail of the crater.

After a wonderful picnic lunch, your next stop will be an actual nature-made lava tube, called “Nahuku” that formed due to the rushing of red, hot, molten lava. A 20-minute 1/3 mile walk through a tree fern forest takes you into a cave like lava tube with man-made lighting, bringing you out at the other end of the lush, green, fern forest.

Please bring a light sweater or jacket and light rain gear.

For information about Hospice of Hilo contact:

Ron Hart, Director of Development and Public Relations
(808) 969-1733 or ronh@hospiceofhilo.org