Minnesota -- Public National Healthcare Decisions Day Events

Organizations throughout Minnesota are collaborating to lead a massive effort highlighting the importance of advance care planning —an initiative that has culminated into naming April 16 National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD). 

In recognition of NHDD, a community-wide open-house will be held on Sunday April 15, from 1:30PM to 5:00PM at the Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport – Mall of America hotel in the Riverside Room, located at 3800 American Blvd. East, Bloomington, MN. Community members are encouraged to come and get answers to their healthcare directive questions, complete an advance care directive and to help set a World Record for completing the most healthcare directives in one day! 

The FREE event will feature a panel of local experts on advance care planning from 1:45PM to 2:30PM. Following the panel, people can get assistance by trained facilitators with their advance care directives. Panelists include 

• Ed Holland, Coordinator of Hospice Spiritual Care & Grief Support, Park Nicollet Methodist Hospice


• April Boxeth, Attorney, Voigt, Rode, & Boxeth, LLC


• Vic Sandler, MD, Fairview Hospice Medical Director


• Mary Schroeder, Clinical Manager Advance Care Planning & Community Palliative Care, Allina Home and Community Services


• Jennifer L. Wright, Associate Professor of Law at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. 

 This event, along with other statewide events, aims to increase awareness and answer questions about advance care planning.  Studies indicate that despite recent gains in public awareness of the need for advance care planning most Americans have not exercised their right to make decisions about their healthcare in the event that they cannot speak for themselves. A recent survey conducted by the Minnesota Network of Hospice & Palliative Care revealed that of the 400 Minnesotans aged 50-80 years responding to the survey 98.5% were aware of a health care directive or living will; however of those respondents, only 44.4% had completed one.

 “As a result of National Healthcare Decisions Day, many more people in our community can be expected to have thoughtful conversations about their healthcare decisions and complete reliable advance directives to make their wishes known,” said Michele Fedderly, Executive Director, MNHPC, “Fewer families and healthcare providers will have to struggle with making difficult healthcare decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient and will be able to honor patient wishes when the time comes to do so.”

To learn more about this NHDD event, or find an event closer to you visit http://www.mnhealthcaredecisions.info