2008 Annual Assembly
The 2008 Annual Assembly sponsored by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association will be held January 30 – February 2, 2008 in Tampa Bay, Florida.

2008 Case Conference Call for Submissions will be open September 1 - October 24, 2007
Submissions are open to all levels of students of nursing and social work as well as medical students, residents and fellows. LINK TO CASE CONF

HPNA Pre-conferences for the 2008 Annual Assembly offered on Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Registration with HPNA for these pre-conferences will open online October 1, 2007.

1) 8 AM - 5 PM Generalist Clinical Review Train-the-Trainer
2) 8 AM - 12 NOON APN Billing: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
3) 8 AM - 12 NOON Psychiatric Illnesses and the Dying
4) 8 AM - 12 NOON From Grassroots to Inside the Beltway: Policy Advocacy for Hospice and Palliative Care Professionals
5) 1 PM - 5 PM History and Physical Findings Related to Drug Therapy Management
6) 1 PM - 5 PM Challenges with Family Dynamics in End-of-Life Care
7) 1 PM - 5 PM Implanted Cardiac Devices and End-of-Life Decisions

Notification of Membership Expiration
Beginning with the July, 2007 renewals, notification regarding expiration of the HPNA membership will change to the following:
1) A hard copy renewal form will be sent only to those for whom we do not have an email address on file. There will be no follow-up mailing after the expiration date.
2) An email reminder with a link to the Members Only area of the HPNA website will be sent to those for whom we do have an email address. A back-up plan is in place for those email addresses that may not accept the notice.

Newest posts on the HPNA website:

• Hospice and Palliative Nursing Researchers
• Two additional TIPS Sheets
• Members Only area: Work/Life Balance: sharing from the 2007 Clinical Practice Forum
• Members Only area: HPNA Nursing Assistant Newsletters
• Members Only area: 5 minute guided relaxation
  

Education in Palliative and End-of-life Care for Oncology (EPEC^TM-O) CD-ROM & DVD

This educational activity is approved for a maximum of 31 nursing contact hours.

To order your free copy of the EPEC^TM-O CD-ROM & DVD, please call NCI's Cancer Information Service toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER or visit www.cancer.gov/publications.

To access EPEC^TM-O promotional materials, please visit www.ncipoet.org/PromoToolsEPECO.cfm.

The EPEC^TM-O curriculum was developed by the EPEC^TM Project at Northwestern University with major funding from NCI and supplemental funding from the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Link to HPNA Monthly Update

Exciting News for Hospice and Palliative APNs
CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) is adding the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses (NBCHPN^®) to the list of recognized national certifying bodies for NPs and CNSs at the advanced practice level. Effective Date: November 19, 2007

Further details regarding NPs and CNSs who bill Medicare Carriers and Medicare Administrative Contractors (A/B MACs) for services provided to Medicare Beneficiaries are available on the NBCHPN^® website, www.nbchpn.org.


NBCHPN^® 2008 Computer Based Testing (CBT)
CBT is about to begin! NBCHPN^® continues to work with our professional testing company, Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP) towards CBT in 2008! Visit our Monthly updates and the Certification Newsletters on our website, www.nbchpn.org for more information.

Link to NBCHPN Monthly Update

Reminder: HPNF is recycling cell phones!
Collection target date is October 6, 2007, World Hospice and Palliative Care Day. Many chapters are collecting phones – check with your chapter to see if yours is. If you are not able to donate to a chapter location, gather at least 4-6 unwanted phones (check with your colleagues and family) and call the Foundation office 412-787-9301 for shipping instructions. Phones will be sent to Phoneraiser in Texas for responsible recycling and an easy way to raise funds.

Chapter Grants
As you hold chapter meetings throughout this year, think about what you wish your chapter could do with $500! Now is a good time to plan ahead for the 2008 Chapter Education Grants!

An exciting example is the combined special event planned by three Texas chapters who will be meeting October 6 at the Ft. Worth Botanical Garden to hear speakers present "Palliation Beyond the Pain: Navigating the Unchartable Waters of Suffering" and "A Conversation with Tiffany: Perspectives on End-of-Life Suffering". Two of the chapters received 2007 Chapter Grants for this event! June 1, 2008 is the deadline to submit your good ideas. See the website www.hpnf.org for details.


2007 Annual Member Appeal
Thanks to all of you who have made a contribution to the 2007 Annual Member Appeal! People have responded to letters, spider plants and apple trees. If you have yet to make your annual donation, please consider the twenty-one grants, scholarships and awards offered by the Foundation and show your support. A contribution of $21 reflects the 21 opportunities available!

It is easy to make your 2007 Annual Member Contribution. You can donate online at www.hpnf.org, mail a check, or call Laura Ristau, Director of Development, at 412-787-9301.

© Key to Your Heart Cases©
Great News! Our 2007 Key to Your Heart case has been out in public again at the Clinical Practice Forum and not surprisingly, was once again very popular! This outing we received donations for 66, and in July, 50!

These beautiful gifts are available for a $20.00 donation through the Foundation office or online. We have a limited supply left and will soon be making our order for the new 2008 model. Be sure to order soon to capture this beautiful butterfly before it spins its chrysalis and hibernates for the winter!

Preparing for Certification?
The Registered Nurse Self Assessment Exam (SAE) available on AMP Web Site is a great way to enhance your preparation. Link here: http://store.lxr.com/product.aspx?id=229

Link to HPNF homepage

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