HCCIntelligence™ Webinar Recording: Intersection of Faith and Community Organizing in Advanced Illness Care During COVID-19

Webinar Q and A

Pdf Summary

The HCCIntelligence™ Webinar held on June 15, 2020, focused on the intersection of faith and community organizing in advanced illness care during COVID-19, and was presented in collaboration with the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC). The webinar aimed to address the challenges and strategies in discussing advanced care planning (ACP) during the pandemic, with a particular emphasis on sensitivity to racial disparities in healthcare.<br /><br />**Key Discussions:**<br />1. **Handling Difficult Conversations:** Panelists like Elder Angela Overton and Rev. Dale Susan Edmonds highlighted the variability in individuals' openness to discuss ACP, the importance of compassionate communication, and the need for understanding and respecting patients' wishes, especially under stress.<br />2. **Overcoming Fear and Mistrust:** Concerns about historical disparities causing mistrust among communities of color were acknowledged. Dr. Gloria Thomas Anderson emphasized the importance of having advance care directive documents and trusted advocates to ensure patients' wishes are honored. Rev. Edmonds stressed the necessity of listening to patients' and families' fears and building trust.<br />3. **Engaging Faith Communities:** To engage faith communities in ACP, relationship-building within communities was identified as crucial. Elder Overton and Rev. Edmonds noted that forming genuine connections and collaborating with trusted community members and leaders could help overcome barriers.<br />4. **Making Advance Directives Accessible:** Ensuring that ACP documents are readily available in emergencies was stressed. Elder Overton discussed policy efforts for state-to-state portability of these documents. Rev. Edmonds and Lauryn Valladarez highlighted the role of families in proactively ensuring healthcare providers have access to these documents.<br />5. **Role of Spiritual Care:** The integration of spiritual care in home-based primary care was discussed, emphasizing the importance of presence, listening, and being open to patients’ definitions of spiritual support.<br />6. **Faith Leaders' Support:** Suggestions for faith leaders included balancing personal and community support, creating boundaries, and sharing personal vulnerabilities to connect with their congregations.<br />7. **Diverse Approaches for Different Communities:** Understanding and respecting diverse cultural beliefs about death and dying were discussed. Incorporating trained community advocates to facilitate culturally appropriate conversations was recommended.<br /><br />The webinar underscored the importance of empathetic dialogue, robust advocacy, and systemic policy changes to ensure equitable and respectful advanced care planning during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Keywords

HCCIntelligence Webinar

faith

community organizing

advanced illness care

COVID-19

advanced care planning

racial disparities

spiritual care

faith leaders

cultural beliefs