International Hospice Institute; Academy of Hospice Physicians A vision for hospice —
The International Hospice Institute (IHI) is a Washington, DC based nonprofit organization which was established in early 1984 for the purpose of developing a solid base of knowledge on the hospice concept of care by stimulating and coordinating research on the many aspects of palliative care involving hospice experts in the US and all parts of the world. They are also concerned with increasing the involvement of the medical profession in the delivery of hospice care by providing educational and training opportunities for physicians and other professionals on the hospice/palliative care concept. IHI partakes in active collaboration with national, regional, and international organizations in the achievement of its goals and objectives. One ofIHI’s primary goals is to foster development of hospice programs in countries of the world which do not have expertise in hospice/palliative care, but which need it most. As one means of achievingits goals, IHI formed the Academy of Hospice Physicians (AHP) in Granby, Colorado on the 20th of July 1998 with 129 founding member physicians dedicated to the promotion of the hospice movement in the US and world wide, the advancement of hospice/palliative care medical practice, the education of hospice physicians, and research in palliative medicine and the care of the
terminally ill. They believe that this organization is the beginning of an organized discipline in the United States devoted to the special areas of palliative care and the management of terminal illness. Their list of objectives is as follows: • To educate physicians in the management of terminal illness. • To provide hospice physicians with peer support and opportunities for an interchange of information and experiences. • To foster the development of research in hospice/palliative care. • To act as a resource for physicians seeking employmentas a Medical Director in an hospice organization, and hospice organizations seeking a Medical Director. • To develop standards for hospice practice and foster accreditation of hospice/palliative physician training programs. • To produce a publication relevant for physicians in hospice/palliative care. • To play the roleof ombudsman in protecting the tights and personal autonomy of dying
40 Downloaded from ajh.sagepub.com at UNIV OF MONTANA on April 7, 2015
patients and their families, and see that their needs are not neglected or curtailed. • To take an active part in the philosophic and ethical discussions concerning the role of the physician in the care of the dying patient/family, as the role is being constantly redefined in an ever-changing society. As of May 16, 1992, the Academy of Hospice Physicians (AHP) boasts a membership of over 1,000 physicians from 30 specialties practicing in Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Columbia, England, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, and the US. It is the only international physician organization that offers its members an opportunity to be involved, at the ground level,in the future of hospice/palliative care. AHP offers physicians from every medical specialty and geographic region a unique occasion to participate in education and research and to join the debate on the many ethical and moral issues relating to this new medical specialty. Physicians in good standing in their respective state and/or country who are interested in promoting the practice of hospice/palliative medicine may become active members of the Academy of Hospice Physicians. L1
The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care September/October 1992
The International Hospice Institute (IHI) is a Washington, DC based nonprofit organization which was established in early 1984 for the purpose of developing a solid base of knowledge on the hospice concept of care by stimulating and coordinating research on the many aspects of palliative care involving hospice experts in the US and all parts of the world. They are also concerned with increasing the involvement of the medical profession in the delivery of hospice care by providing educational and training opportunities for physicians and other professionals on the hospice/palliative care concept. IHI partakes in active collaboration with national, regional, and international organizations in the achievement of its goals and objectives. One ofIHI’s primary goals is to foster development of hospice programs in countries of the world which do not have expertise in hospice/palliative care, but which need it most. As one means of achievingits goals, IHI formed the Academy of Hospice Physicians (AHP) in Granby, Colorado on the 20th of July 1998 with 129 founding member physicians dedicated to the promotion of the hospice movement in the US and world wide, the advancement of hospice/palliative care medical practice, the education of hospice physicians, and research in palliative medicine and the care of the
terminally ill. They believe that this organization is the beginning of an organized discipline in the United States devoted to the special areas of palliative care and the management of terminal illness. Their list of objectives is as follows: • To educate physicians in the management of terminal illness. • To provide hospice physicians with peer support and opportunities for an interchange of information and experiences. • To foster the development of research in hospice/palliative care. • To act as a resource for physicians seeking employmentas a Medical Director in an hospice organization, and hospice organizations seeking a Medical Director. • To develop standards for hospice practice and foster accreditation of hospice/palliative physician training programs. • To produce a publication relevant for physicians in hospice/palliative care. • To play the roleof ombudsman in protecting the tights and personal autonomy of dying
40 Downloaded from ajh.sagepub.com at UNIV OF MONTANA on April 7, 2015
patients and their families, and see that their needs are not neglected or curtailed. • To take an active part in the philosophic and ethical discussions concerning the role of the physician in the care of the dying patient/family, as the role is being constantly redefined in an ever-changing society. As of May 16, 1992, the Academy of Hospice Physicians (AHP) boasts a membership of over 1,000 physicians from 30 specialties practicing in Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Columbia, England, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, and the US. It is the only international physician organization that offers its members an opportunity to be involved, at the ground level,in the future of hospice/palliative care. AHP offers physicians from every medical specialty and geographic region a unique occasion to participate in education and research and to join the debate on the many ethical and moral issues relating to this new medical specialty. Physicians in good standing in their respective state and/or country who are interested in promoting the practice of hospice/palliative medicine may become active members of the Academy of Hospice Physicians. L1
The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care September/October 1992
