This issue marks the return of ABCD Exchange to print, after a three-month hiatus. This delay was, in part, the result of my maternity leave. But the true delay stems from the financial problems that ABCD has experienced in the last year as we have struggled, like non-profits nationwide, not only to stay in business, but to maintain our mission of improving end-of-life care for all people with serious, chronic illness. Thanks to careful financial management by COO MaryAnn Griffin and all of our staff, we are able to maintain current operations through October.
Without your continued support--and without participation of new members--we will not make it! If you are a member, consider making an additional gift to support our work. Or enlist your friends and colleagues to join. Giving is easy: You may now donate directly online by going to our website and clicking on "Join Us."
Among our fundraising activities, we sponsored an auction and awards program held last October. At that event, which raised $16,000 for ABCD, Joanne Lynn presented Bill and Judith Moyers with the ABCD Excellence in End-of-Life Care Award for their exceptional work to advance improvements in how we care for people living with fatal illness. Details of the event are posted on the web.
We are working to market the online version of our critically acclaimed book, Handbook for Mortals: Guidance for People Facing Serious Illness. The online version, posted in its entirety on our website, offers "snapshots" of various issues. Users may read one-screen at a time and follow hyperlinks to related sections within the book. For instance, a caregiver might read about treatment decisions families face at the end of life, and follow links for details on tube feeding, ventilators, and DNR orders.
Many organizations have found the online version to be helpful to their members, patients, and beneficiaries. Health care organizations have begun to use Handbook for Mortals as the basis for education programs in many settings. The electronic version is designed for quick and efficient installation on any website. It can be configured to look as though it is part of your own site, even though it "plays" from another. For information on how to license this content for your organization, contact Sue Rogers at info@abcd-caring.org.
This fall, we launched a new, electronic news service, which features twice monthly updates on public policy and key events. If you would like to receive this bulletin, go to the ABCD Online Discussion site, and sign up to receive e-mails from our listserv under "News from ABCD." As always, I welcome submissions from members and colleagues, either for the new information service or for Exchange. If you have an exciting program to describe, a pressing concern to air, or a new resource for patients and providers, let me know. Send your comments directly to JMLynch@abcd-caring.org.
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