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___Representatives of 48 hospices from
across the country participated in the
NIJH Accreditation Conference, held at
the Ramada Plaza Hotel at JFK Airport in
New York City, on November 19, 2009.
Over 100 people represented these
hospices, including social workers,
chaplains of all faiths, nurses and
administrators. After a welcome and
introduction by Shirley Lamm, Executive
Director of NIJH, they spent an intensive
day delving into topics directly related to
the care of the Jewish terminally ill.
___Sessions included a focus on Jewish
ethics with a case-study lecture by Dr.
Barry Kinzbrunner, Executive Vice
President & Chief Medical Officer, Vitas
Innovative Hospice Care, entitled “Jewish
Medical Ethics & End-of-Life Care”; a
lecture on “Connecting Across Religious
Lines With Integrity” by Nehama
Glogower, Chaplain, St. Joseph Mercy of
Ann Arbor, Michigan; and a lecture on “The Psychology of the Dying Person” by
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, noted
rabbi and psychotherapist.
___There were also sessions on
Marketing Hospice by Colleen Swick,
Regional Director of Business
Development, Care Alternatives Hospice
and on Practical Judaism and the Jewish
Calendar by Rabbi Steven Shulman,
Chaplain Continuum Hospice, Bronx, New
York.
___Participants were excited and
energized by the amount of information
they acquired and by the quality of the
presentations. For many, this was their
first exposure to the richness of Jewish
culture and the profundity of Jewish
ethical values. Many expressed the
feeling that they were now much more
prepared to better care for their Jewish
terminally ill patients. They were glad to
have participated in the conference and
looked forward to a fruitful relationship
with NIJH.
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Comments
From Participants
___“This was my first conference, it was great! Thank you. I feel
as though I can return to my hospice team and provide them with
information and resources. I am excited about working with
Jewish patients now, versus feeling inadequate. Our hospice can
now have more comprehensive care now, thank you! Finally it is
helpful knowing NIJH is available to provide guidance and resources as needed. Thank you!”
___“I found the program very beneficial and informative. I look
forward to coming next year and bringing more members of our
hospice team.”
___“I found everyone enlightening. As a Catholic, I found it
extremely helpful when the speakers defined the customs and
words. Thank you for the education provided by NIJH. I enjoyed
and valued my time spent here.”
___“I attended the conference before and it keeps on getting
better. Each speaker gave critical information which combined to
give an in-depth perspective on how to serve Jewish patients in
hospice.”
___“It was very informative and will definitely be helpful in my
understanding of our Jewish clients. Thank you.”
___“I have found NIJH to be the most beneficial, not only this year
but in years past. Also, I feel strongly that NIJH has been an
impetus for other ethnicities to be acknowledged. NIJH has
clearly shown society that death and dying is not a “one size fits
all” philosophy or entity. Thank you for creating and continuing
this wonderful organization.
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