State Palliative Care and Quality of Life Advisory Council
Palliative care is specialized care for people facing serious illness.Purpose
The State Palliative Care and Quality of Life Advisory Council was created by the Tennessee General Assembly as a result of Chapter 955 of the Public Acts of 2018. The Council meets quarterly. Information on previous and upcoming Council meetings, including agendas and minutes, are available by request.
The purpose of the council is to continually assess the status of palliative care, including barriers to care, in Tennessee. The council shall provide recommendations to the Governor and to the General Assembly on issues related to its work.
Council Members
- Justin Baker, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
- Linda Estes, Tennessee Health Care Association, Nashville, TN
- Karen Hyden, Compassus, Nashville, TN
- Clay Jackson, West Cancer Center, Memphis, TN
- Mohana Karlekar, Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Maria Vilmerding Moore, Avalon Hospice, Nashville, TN
- Anna-Gene O'Neal, Alive Hospice, Nashville, TN
- Jill Patterson, University Palliative Care, Knoxville, TN
- Greg Phelps, Hospice of Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN
- Sally Pitt, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, TN
- Jim Shulman, Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability, Nashville, TN
- Tammy Stokes, Maury Regional Medical Center, Columbia, TN
2019 Quarterly Meeting Schedule
January 30, 2019 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. CST
April 24, 2019 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. CST
July 31, 2019 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. CST
October 30, 2019 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. CST
For more information please email tn.aging@tn.gov.
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is specialized care for people facing serious illness1, focusing on providing relief of suffering (physical, psychosocial, and spiritual), to maximize quality of life for both the patient and family. 1-Within palliative care, serious illness is defined as a health condition that carries a high risk of mortality and a) negatively impacts a person’s daily function, b) negatively impacts a person’s quality of life, and/or c) excessively strains the person’s caregiver.
*This definition was adopted by the State Palliative Care and Quality of Life Advisory Council on January 30, 2019.
Reports
Palliative Care and Quality of Life Task Force Final Report
2019 State Palliative Care and Quality of Life Advisory Council Update Report *Added May 2019
Resources
Although Tennesseans’ values and opinions about care for serious illnesses, including palliative care or end-of-life care, will inevitably vary by person, the Palliative Care and Quality of Life Advisory Council recognizes the importance of increasing access to, and accurate dissemination of, information so that individual care decisions can be made. The following resources may be helpful:
Honoring Choices Tennessee Palliative Care
American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
NHPCO Palliative Care Needs Report
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
American College of Cardiology
Dr. Diane E. Meier Defines Palliative Care (YouTube video)
Dr. Diane E. Meier Discusses Palliative Medicine and Geriatric Care (YouTube video)