Message from the Chair
&
Executive Director
Kathleen M. Foley, MD (USA)
Liliana De Lima, MHA (USA)
Dear readers:
We hope that this New Year brings happiness, peace and health to you and your loved ones.
During the past several years many advances and changes have taken place, especially in our ability to communicate with palliative care workers around the globe. These are exciting times that offer new opportunities for collaboration, networking and support. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to support palliative care in developing countries and to implement cost effective strategies and programs that maximize our ability to help and accomplish our mission.
As in the past 10 years, this Newsletter will continue to deliver news, announcements and serve as a tool to disseminate information to the global palliative care community for years to come. Our messages will continue to be brief announcements about opportunities, grants, courses and news about IAHPC that we think are useful to you and the palliative care community.
The end of the year marks the expiration of IAHPC membership for many of you. This year we have simplified our member’s sliding fee schedule and we have a special offer for those of you who pay $75.00 or more as a membership fee; you will receive a free copy of the MD Anderson Publication Symptom Control and Palliative Care Handbook by Ahmed Elsayem, Larry Driver and Eduardo Bruera (2nd ed).
Individuals and institutions whose membership is about to expire should have received reminders by mail. If your membership expired and you have not renewed, please remember to do so. Membership dues are very important to IAHPC as they help us to continue our mission to help others. To renew your membership, please go to our website at www.hospicecare.com and click on the IAHPC Membership Join/Renew button in the links on the left.
Pope Benedict XVI has prepared a message to celebrate the Fifteenth World Day of the Sick on February 11th, in which he praises the work of palliative care workers and calls for further promotion and development of palliative care throughout the world. It is of great importance that a global spiritual leader is bringing attention to palliative care in a formal message. Hopefully leaders of other religions around the world will follow this example. We are including the English version of his message in this edition of the Newsletter. In addition to the English version, the message is also available in Spanish and Italian in the Vatican website at
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/sick/index_en.htm
Click on XV World Day of the Sick 2007.
As you know, this year, several regional organizations including the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC), the African Palliative Care Association (APCA) and the Asia Pacific Hospice and Palliative Care Network (APHN) will be having their meetings and congresses. We are glad to announce that we have allocated a percentage of our budget to support the travel of palliative care workers from developing countries who are interested in attending these meetings through our Traveling Scholarship Program (TS). Candidates need to be palliative care workers in developing countries, currently enrolled in a program or institution, be IAHPC members, and have a demonstrated commitment to the field. We will accept applications for attendance at the EAPC Congress until January 30, 2007. Grantees will be announced by the end of February 2007. To learn more about the TS Program, or to submit an application, please visit the TS Page in our website http://www.hospicecare.com/Travellscholars/
The deadline to submit nominations to the IAHPC Awards Program was December 31 st. We received several nominations. Many thanks to all you who participated – the winners will be announced by mid February.
We also have some great news: The US Cancer Pain Relief Committee (USCPRC) has awarded IAHPC a three year grant to support the organization’s activities and programs. We are very grateful for their generosity which will enable us to focus on strategic work and to develop ways to support the development of hospice and palliative care around the world.
During the month of December we received many donations from individuals who gave funds to IAHPC in memory of a friend or loved one as a gesture of gratitude for the care that they received from hospice and palliative care providers. Many thanks for your encouragement, support, and help. These donations are very important to the organization as they are a reflection of how much impact we are really having at the level that matters most - patients and families.
We appreciate the confidence that all of our donors, members and readers have placed in us and in our work. We will strive to be better each day and look forward to working with you all in 2007.
Sincerely,
Kathy Foley, MD
Chair, Board of Directors
Liliana De Lima, MHA
Executive Director
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