President's Perspective
Encouraging the Public to Plan Ahead:
Life Planning 2000
By Leonard L. Loeb
The word is out. Attorneys and health professionals in more
than 25 counties have joined forces to volunteer their expertise
for Life Planning 2000. The goal is to encourage the public to
complete an advance medical directive in a time of noncrisis
and to improve the way legal and health professionals participate
in the process.
Life
Planning 2000 takes place May 1 - 5 in conjunction with Law Day
and leading up to National Hospitals Week (May 7 - 13). Local
bar associations are teaming with hospitals and clinics in their
areas to organize Life Planning activities. If you want to get
involved, now is the time to act.
The program provides two great ways to get involved: Attend
a seminar on the team approach to advance care planning. By attending
a seminar, you can increase your knowledge, improve your practice
skills, and expand your network of health care contacts.
The State Bar, along with our partners - the Wisconsin
Health and Hospital Association, the State Medical Society, and
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center - is hosting five regional
CLE seminars in April and May. An ethicist, an attorney, and
a physician will discuss how the different disciplines contribute
to the advance care planning process - from completing the
documents and encouraging clients to discuss their wishes with
their families to ensuring that clients' wishes are carried
out.
We've heard that many of you have concerns about the
current process - miscommunications result in unwanted guardianship
proceedings and protective placement hearings. Here's your
chance to attend a CLE seminar geared for attorneys, physicians,
nurses, hospital social workers, and hospital clergy to talk
about these important issues. To encourage broad participation,
the CLE seminars are only $25.
Get the word out to the public during Life Planning Week.
Attorneys and health professionals who want to volunteer in the
campaign's public outreach component will receive "planning
guides" in March to help them organize activities on a local
level. Activities might be as simple as organizing a "Life
Planning table" at the courthouse on Law Day or as involved
as setting up a free "Life Planning workshop" at a
library or community center to get the public started with the
advance care planning process. This program provides a great
opportunity for your local bar to be highly visible in a positive
light in the community.
Program volunteers also may receive print copies of the Gift
to Your Family consumer guide for use as a teaching tool. Written
by attorneys and health care professionals, the guide will be
available free to the public via WisBar in April.
You are welcome to participate in Life Planning 2000 at any
level you can - improve your practice by attending a seminar
or share your expertise with the public during Life Planning
Week. Our colleagues in the health profession are looking forward
to working with us, so please turn out!
For more information, please contact Trina
E. Haag at the State Bar of Wisconsin at (800) 444-9404,
ext. 6025; attorney Jim Jaeger, project chair, at (608) 244-1354;
or attorney Grant Birtch, local activities chair, at (920) 729-0303;
or visit Life Planning 2000 online.
As always, you can reach me by email.
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