DENVER, CO – The Colorado Health Foundation is partnering with health care providers, organizations and systems, as well as with community-based and human service agencies, to improve opportunities and resources for individuals and families to engage in advance care planning and to help ensure that the care they receive in the event of incapability or at end of life aligns with their values, goals and informed preferences. The Advance Care Planning initiative is part of the Foundation’s overall strategy to empower individuals and families to manage their own health. The first grantee awards for this three-year, $2.75 million initiative was recently announced, including: Health District of Northern Larimer County, Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, Systems of Care Initiative, Inc. and The Conversation Project in Boulder County.
Grantees were selected based on their activities in one or more advance care planning domains, including engagement, education, system infrastructure and continuous quality improvement, with the overall goal of increasing health engagement as a result of:
- Upstream and ongoing conversations about what matters when an individual is seriously ill or near end of life;
- Selection of a fully informed medical durable power of attorney; and
- Receiving medical and related social services consistent with care preferences.
“These projects have tremendous potential to inform the field, promote informed decision-making and improve the patient experience,” said Dara Hessee, senior program officer, at the Colorado Health Foundation.
The final round of funding for this initiative is currently open for applications, with a deadline of June 15, 2016.