Dr. Lynn told a room of reporters and advocates that, unless Americans are willing to take a hard look at how they die and how to improve it, they will, in essence, "Get what we deserve." As the first wave of Baby Boomers begins to face death, either in caring for aging parents or, very soon, for themselves, the public will begin to demand better care. Lynn, and others at ABCD and the Center to Improve Care of the Dying at George Washington University, hope to improve the current situation through working to change policy, educate providers and the public, and advocate for improvements at the local level.
In accepting the letter of commendation, Dr. Kizer repeated the oft-quoted Will Rogers' line that only two things are certain: death and taxes. He added that "Americans do a better job of preparing their taxes than they do of preparing for the end of life."
Robert Butler, M.D., former director of the National Institute on Aging applauded the launch of ABCD, stating, "Long overdue is the development of an advocacy group in end-of-life care. The emergence of ABCD is wonderful news for anyone concerned about dying individuals." Butler is the Pulitzer-prize winning author of Why Survive? Being Old in America.
The VA, which has approximately 172 hospitals in its nationwide network and affiliations with 1,000 academic institutions, is in an ideal position to create innovation in the field, both for providers and patients. Patients in its systems are often among the most severely and chronically ill in the nation, and often present a range of needs. The VA is the nation's largest integrated healthcare system, and is able to provide the coordinated care so many dying patients require. In addition, the VA treats a large number of terminally ill men and women-all of whom could benefit from better care at the end of life. Two VA programs, one in Dayton and one in Florida, are participating in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Collaborative on Improving End-of-Life Care.
Letter of Commendation to Dr. Kenneth Kizer and the Department of Veterans Affairs
Americans for Better Care of the Dying commends and congratulates you for your exceptional work in improving care of those approaching the end of life. In the last three months, the Veterans Affairs Health System has registered a 15% increase in comprehensive planning for end-of-life care for dying patients, when so many efforts have failed to make an impact. Your attention to the difficult task of promoting innovation and excellence for dying veterans provides an exemplary model for all who serve Americans in the last phase of life. This early success bodes well for the eventual accomplishments of the Department of Veterans Affairs' "End of Life and Palliative Care Initiative." Americans for Better Care of the Dying salutes the Department of Veterans Affairs for your achievements and your aspirations.
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