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
- James Dunn, Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability, Nashville, TN
- Ashley Fedusenko, Erlanger Health System, Chattanooga, TN
- Karen Hyden, Care Hospice, Nashville, TN
- Mohana Karlekar, Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Nina Monroe, Tennessee Health Care Association, Nashville, TN
- Maria Moore, Gentiva Hospice, Nashville, TN
- Greg Phelps, Covenant Health, Knoxville, TN
- Sally Pitt, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, TN
- Tammy Stokes, Maury Regional Medical Center, Columbia, TN
- Dean Thompson, Tennessee Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Hendersonville, TN
2023 Quarterly Meeting Schedule
January 25, 2023 11am – 1 CST State Palliative Care & Quality of Life Advisory Council
March 29, 2023 11am – 1 CST State Palliative Care & Quality of Life Advisory Council
June 14, 2023 11am – 1pm CST State Palliative Care & Quality of Life Advisory Council
September 27, 2023 11am – 1pm CST State Palliative Care & Quality of Life Advisory Council
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.
State Palliative Care Education Initiative
Topic: Palliative Care Overview with Dr. Justin Baker
Topic: Referral Etiquette/Team Dynamics by Dr. Clay Jackson
Topic: Communication Techniques: How to Have Difficult Health-Related Conversations by Karen Hyden
Topic: Advanced Care Directives by Dr. Greg Phelps
Statewide Palliative Care Conference
April 1, 2022, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. CT
Franklin Hilton Cool Springs
Funded by the Tennessee Department of Health
Hosted by the Tennessee Hospital Association (THA) and Tennessee Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (TNHPCO)
Promo Videos:
Palliative Care Conference - Aging Population:
Palliative Care Conference - Continuum of Care:
Palliative Care Conference - Physician and Patient Perspective:
If you would like more information about the conference, please email tn.aging@tn.gov.
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
2021 Palliative Care Update Report
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia State Plan Update 2021
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
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Dr. Diane E. Meier Defines Palliative Care (YouTube video)
Dr. Diane E. Meier Discusses Palliative Medicine and Geriatric Care (YouTube video)
Integrating Palliative Care
Advance Care Planning