Spring 2007
Volume 2, Issue 1
A message from Richard Payne,
Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life Director
It has been a busy spring at ICEOL. Most of our recent activities have focused on supporting the efforts of faith communities to improve end-of-life care. These communities have an important role to play in the care of seriously ill patients and their families. In the months to come, the Institute will launch initiatives to engage, convene and provide training to others active in providing end-of-life care. ICEOL’s past work and future plans are built on the understanding that improvements in end-of-life care require the involvement of theologians, clergy and parishioners together with health care clinicians and scholars to attend to the needs of the body, mind and spirit. If you have questions about the Institute’s work or thoughts to share on how health care providers and faith communities can work together please send them to ICEOL@div.duke.edu.
Resource Spotlight
Vesta, a Bryan Harnetiaux play, offers a warm and often funny exploration of a family’s struggle with the loss of a loved one. This play is available for use by hospices, churches and other organizations interested in creating dialogue about end-of-life issues. E-mail ICEOL@div.duke.edu to learn about producing Vesta in your community.
National Framework and Preferred Practices for Palliative and Hospice Care Quality, a recent publication of the National Quality Forum, provides a framework for palliative and hospice care to serve as the foundation for a quality measurement and reporting system.
Newsletter Archives
ICEOL Update Spring 2007
ICEOL Conference Strikes a Chord
“In Life and in Death We Belong to God,” co-sponsored by ICEOL and the Presbyterian Church USA, gave participants the opportunity to explore the theological underpinnings of caring practices and practical models of end-of-life care. 250 church members, pastors, health care professionals, and others from across the country attended. “Sessions were instructional and moving [and] caused personal reflection that will enrich my life, spiritual practice, and service to patients and clients,” commented one participant. The conference also spurred related discussion on public radio in North Carolina.
End-of-Life Care Training for Methodists
Many pastors say their most difficult conversations with parishioners are about ethics and end-of-life care. ICEOL visited South Carolina in February to help United Methodist pastors and lay leaders learn how they can better address these issues in their congregations. In partnership with the Duke Divinity School’s Center for Continuing Education, ICEOL developed a curriculum and offered educational sessions on topics including medical perspectives on care at the end of life, advance care planning, and the role of clergy and congregations as caring communities. Nathan Kirkpatrick, Director of the Center for Continuing Education enthusiastically commented, "these sessions created a space sufficiently safe so that participants could explore not only the issues surrounding end-of-life care but also their own feelings about being pastoral caregivers in these fragile situations…it was [the trainers’] willingness and ability to let all in attendance tend to their own souls that made the event a true success." For more information about this training, e-mail us at ICEOL@div.duke.edu.
Play Sparks End-of-Life Discussions
Early in April at Duke University, ICEOL and HOLD, the Divinity School’s end-of-life student interest group, performed a dramatic reading of Vesta, a Bryan Harnetiaux play examining an ordinary family’s ups and downs as they struggle with the loss of their matriarch, named Vesta. Students, faculty, local faith leaders and parishioners attended and participated in a post-performance discussion of issues highlighted in the play. Representatives from hospice and other agencies that provide end-of-life care also participated, making this, “a terrific opportunity to learn more about end-of-life care in a way that is engaging and non-threatening” says Jeanne Twohig, ICEOL’s deputy director. “This is among the first of many opportunities ICEOL will explore in 2007 to use Vesta to spark discussions about end-of-life care issues.” To learn more about how to bring Vesta to your community, e-mail us at ICEOL@div.duke.edu.
ICEOL Faculty Lectures at Center for Theological Inquiry
Furthering dialogue about the intersection of science and theology at the end of life, Dr. Allen Verhey, Professor of Christian Ethics at Duke Divinity School and ICEOL faculty, delivered the 2006 Witherspoon Lecture at the Center for Theological Inquiry in Princeton, N.J. His lecture, Science at the End of Life: Contributions and Limitations, offers a provocative look at the role of science in death and dying. Read this lecture in The Center’s publication Reflection.
Continued Work with African American Faith Leaders
For a second year, ICEOL, in partnership with Duke Divinity’s Office of Black Church Studies and VITAS Innovative Hospice Care, participated in the annual meeting of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference to help grow enthusiasm and interest among African American churches for improving end-of-life care in their congregations. This year, ICEOL presented on the importance of spirituality in end-of-life care. This work builds on the signing of “The Proctor Covenant Statement” by 19 prominent faith leaders at the 2005 annual meeting acknowledging the importance of developing programs and ministries in end-of-life care.
Work Begins on Seminal End-of-Life Care Document
Along with other leaders in end-of-life care, ICEOL is participating in the development of an updated and expanded version of the historic Hastings Center publication: Guidelines on the Termination of Life-Sustaining Treatment and the Care of the Dying (1987). When complete, these guidelines will provide information on ethical practices and policies for health care providers and others working with patients, families, and other caregivers facing difficult treatment decisions. The Center’s Web site will feature regular updates on this work.
ICEOL & Student Development
ICEOL continues its dedication to the spiritual formation of students with a variety of strategies this year, including sponsorship of the Duke Divinity School’s student interest group HOLD (Helping Ourselves and Others in Life and in Death). In the summer and fall, ICEOL will again offer community internships for Duke Divinity students to allow for hands-on experience caring for patients and families at the end of life. Also in the fall, ICEOL faculty will offer courses on death and dying, including a course on death, resurrection and care at the end of life, and the theological and psychosocial exploration of children who have experienced the death of a loved one. Learn more about how your organization can host divinity students.