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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2017 - 2018 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	April 4, 2017 02:43 PM
From:	Senator Charles T. McIlhinney, Jr.
To:	All Senate members
Subject:	Healthcare Decisions Week April 16-22

In the near future, I will be introducing a resolution recognizing April 16-22, 2017 as Healthcare Decisions Week in Pennsylvania in coordination with the 10th Annual National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16 and this year’s week-long event April 16-22. NHDD’s 2017 theme is “It Always Seems Too Early, Until It’s Too Late.” Patients across America face a lack of awareness regarding their ability to choose the type of care they wish to receive during a medical crisis or at the end of life. This creates potential for healthcare decisions to be made on the patient’s behalf without their consent, rather than having their individual wishes respected by providers. Healthcare Decisions Week in Pennsylvania aims to inspire and educate the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning. Among other things, this initiative helps people understand that advance healthcare decision-making includes much more than living wills; it is a process that should focus on conversation, choosing a healthcare agent and filing advance directive documents so that their wishes may be known in the event they become unable to speak for themselves. Further, advance directives ensure humane, personalized health care and assist in avoiding unwanted and unnecessary expenses. By recognizing April 16-22, 2017 as Healthcare Decisions Week in Pennsylvania, I encourage citizens across the Commonwealth to educate themselves on advance care planning options so that they can have the final say. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important resolution.

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