Innovations in End-of-Life Care
an international journal of leaders in end-of-life care

May 2, 2000, Orlando, Florida - The American Hospital Association (AHA) Health Forum Summit

The American Hospital Association (AHA) is honoring nine programs in end-of-life care with its Circle of Life Award: Celebrating Innovation in End-of-Life Care. The long-term goal of this award program is to change and improve care of the dying in America. This award is supported by a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and is co-sponsored by the American Medical Association, the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging and the National Hospice Organization.

The Nine Programs

This year, the following three programs are receiving the Circle of Life Award and $25,000 to further each program's efforts. [Click on the name of the institution for a summary of the program drawn from the executive summary and other materials submitted to AHA as part of the application for the award.]

• The Franciscan Health System-West: Improving Care through the End of Life
• The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast
• Louisiana State Penitentiary Hospice Program

In addition, AHA has selected the following four programs for honorable mention with commendation:

• The Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care (DPMPC) at Beth Israel Medical Center
• Calvary Hospital
• Harry R. Horvitz Center for Palliative Medicine
• San Diego Hospice Corporation

The following two programs have received honorable mentions:

• The Butterfly Program
• Fairview Health Services' End-of-Life Care Initiative

Innovations in End-of-Life Care is featuring the work of the three award-winning programs.

• The May-June 2000 issue of Innovations focuses on Hospice in Prison and spotlights the Louisiana Penetentiary Hospice Program.
• The July-August 2000 issue explores the theme of Intergenerational Efforts to Work with Hospice Patients. and spotlights The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast.
• The September-October 2000 issue will spotlight the Franciscan Health System - West program: Improving Care through the End of Life.

The overview editorial posted May 2, 2000, "Volunteerism and Healing Community Characterizes Excellence in End-of-Life Care" by Bruce Jennings serves to introduce readers to some of the themes that crosscure.

For more information about these nine programs as well as information about how tt these examples of excellence in end-of-life cao apply for next year's Circle of Life Award, please visit the American Hospital Association's website at http://www.aha.org/circleoflife/