Our members play a vital part in advancing the mission of the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care. To formally acknowledge their support, we developed a Members’ Recognition Program to build awareness and understanding of just how much we value our members. Dr. Matthias Brian is winner of the 2015 Loyalty Recognition prize for his consecutive IAHPC membership since 2002.
Matthias Brian writes:
Now retired at age 65 from my rewarding work as a palliative care physician at Midnorthern Hospice in Sundsvall, Sweden, I continue my great interest and pleasure in the discipline by teaching palliative medicine. Originally from Switzerland, I graduated as a physician from Zurich University.
After meeting my wife, who came from Sweden, we moved to Sundsvall in 1977, a town by the Baltic Sea and near the polar circle. I have two wonderful sons with lovely girlfriends and a charming granddaughter. In Sweden, I trained as a specialist in general medicine, but by the 1980s I had discovered palliative medicine, which has since become my main interest and work. Adding to my knowledge and credentials, I received the Diploma in Palliative Medicine from the Swedish Association for Palliative Medicine in 2005. Since May 2015, palliative medicine is finally recognized as a specialty, so I am collecting my papers to gain approval as a palliative specialist.
My main effort and achievement has been to build from concept to conclusion, and to operate, Midnorthern Hospice, a specialist palliative inpatient unit, opened in 2007. Queen Silvia of Sweden’s inauguration of the hospice and endorsement further demonstrated acceptance and support of the palliative specialty. The very committed professional staff and volunteers care for 12 to 14 guests at the end of life. The hospice is run as a non-profit organization, owned by the Midnorthern Hospice Foundation.
IAHPC was, and still is, a great resource and inspiration; for example, we used the list of essential medicines for palliative care as a basis for our medicine list when starting the hospice. Recently, I participated in the Opioid Watch Project contributing data from Sweden.
Every year, Midnorthern Hospice encourages awareness and skill advancement by arranging an education day in palliative care to celebrate the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day in October.
In recognition of Matthias’s loyalty we are delighted to award him an IAHPC Traveling Scholarship or Traveling Fellowship to the value of US$2,000.
Other winners of Members' Recognition 2015 awards are Dr. Alick Kayange (read his article in the December 2015 IAHPC Newsletter) and Ms. Florence Nalutaaya who will be contributing to the March edition.
Read more about the many benefits available to IAHPC members, including the opportunities to apply for our Traveling Scholarships and Fellowships.
Do you know someone who has made a major contribution to palliative care policy development and think they deserve to have their contribution recognized by their peers? If so, the European Journal of Palliative Care (EJPC) would love to hear from you.
To nominate someone, visit their website. The Palliative Care Policy Development Award 2016 will be presented at the 9th World Research Congress of the EAPC in Dublin, Ireland (9–11 June 2016) – Deadline for submissions: 31 March 2016.
Each month, we publish a limited selection of items that we feel will be of interest to our global readership. Content is welcomed but please observe the criteria for inclusion:
Please also consider promoting your education and training events in the IAHPC Global Directory of Education in Palliative Care. It’s quick and easy – just submit your content online.
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