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by Christian Sinclair

Just a quick reminder that the regular deadline to apply for the 2016 Hospice Medical Director Certification exam is today, Monday February 22, 2016. The cost for the exam is $1100 if signed up by today, but the actual final late fee deadline is March 21, 2016. So save a few bucks and sign up today. The test can be taken on any day from May 19-June 6, 2016. More details can be found on the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board website.

Being a hospice medical director is an important role with specialized knowledge. For those who think it is just an administrative task to sign papers, there is a whole lot more at stake. Working collaboratively with the hospice team to ensure high quality comfort care means physicians need to be trusting yet curious, evidence-based yet creative, available and ethical. As hospice services expand in the United States, it is reassuring to know that hospice medical directors (HMD) have a standard to maintain. The numbers are starting to grow, but we still have a long ways to go in this young effort.

If you are a HMD, I hope you will sign up for this and join the ranks of those who aim for a high standard. If you are a hospice administrator, I hope you talk to your HMDs about certification and provide the right incentives to make the process simple. If you are a patient or family, consider this certification as you choose the right hospice for you. If you are a referring physician to hospice, do you know if the hospices in your area of HMDs who are hospice medical director-certified (HMDC) or board-certified HPM physicians?

Last year had a passing rate of 77% with 200 hospice physicians taking the exam. So far we have a total of 500 HMDC. Yet we have over 5,000 hospices, so even back of the napkin math with 1-2 HMDs per hospice tells us we have a long way to go to get a high rate of HMDC. A majority of hospice physicians do hospice on a part-time basis in addition to primary care or long-term care work. Let's help cheer them on as they work with hospice.

More posts on HMD Certification on Pallimed can be found here.

Christian Sinclair, MD, FAAHPM is a palliative medicine physician, former hospice medical director and editor or Pallimed.

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by Christian Sinclair

2015 was a pretty exciting year in palliative care, but 2016 has a lot happening as well. Here are some of the things to put on your calendar right now, so you do not miss them!

To access these dates via Google Calendar (HTML), click here.
To import a .ics file of all current dates to your calendar software, click here.

Spring

• National POLST Paradigm Conference - February 3-5 - Chicago, IL
• Cambia Sojourns Scholars applications due - February 26
• HPM Board Certification Registration - March 1-May 16
• SWHPN General Assembly - March 6-8, 2016 - Chicago, IL
• AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly - March 9-12 - Chicago, IL
• Pallimed/GeriPal 10th Annual Gathering - March 10, Location TBD in Chicago, IL
• Caring for the Human Spirit Conference (HealthCare Chaplaincy Network) - April 11-13 - San Diego, CA
• National HealthCare Decisions Day - April 16 - Nationwide
• NHPCO 31st Management and Leadership Conference - April 19-23 - National Harbor, MD
• HMDCB Application Deadline - April 25
• Beginning of the HMDCB Certifcation testing window - May 19 - June 6

Summer

• Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Conference - June 3-5 - Banff, AB, Canada
• New Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellows begin! - July 1
• #hpm chat 6th Anniversary - July 14
• Hospice Action Network Advocacy Intensive - July 18-19 - Washington, DC
• AAHPM Summer Institute - July 24-27 - Pittsburgh, PA
• NHCPO/AAHPM/HPNA Virtual Conference - August 9-11 - Online

Fall

• Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium - September 9-10 - San Francisco, CA
• 21st International Congress on Palliative Care - October 18-21 - Montreal, QC, Canada
• CAPC National Seminar - October 26-29 - Orlando, FL
• NHPCO 17th Clinical Team Conference and Pediatric Intensive - October 31-November 4 - Hollywood, FL
• HPM Board Exam - November 7, 2016
• NHPCO releases Annual Facts and Figures

Recurring

• #hpm chat (Twitter) - Wednesday nights 9p ET

If you know of any other major events, please add them in the comments below and we may add them to this growing list.

If you would like to help maintain this list and the Google Calendar, it is pretty easy, and can be taught in less than 30 minutes, please email editor - at- pallimed.org.

If you are interested in writing up a report for a major conference listed above, we are always looking for traveling correspondents. Please read this overview of writing conference reports and submit the form on that page.

If you are interested in educational events in Asian countries, please see this Google Calendar maintained by APHN.

Christian Sinclair, MD, FAAHPM is the editor of Pallimed, and always loves a good conference. 

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by Allison Lundberg

The hospice industry is growing faster than ever. A study from AARP stated that “…for the next 18 years, boomers will be turning 65 at a rate of about 10,000 a day. As this unique cohort grows older, it will likely transform the institutions of aging…”. Therefore, just as hospitals had to accommodate for the growth of babies in the OB/GYN years ago, hospices will now have to accommodate for the growth of aging individuals today.

What does this mean for hospices? As shown in the 2015 NHPCO Facts and Figures, the rate of patients served by hospice continues to be on an upward trend, as well as the number of US hospice programs. Although there has been consolidation in the hospice industry, an increase of patients will cause the number of hospice physicians to increase as well. There is already a shortage of hospice physicians in the industry, so what will the industry face in 10 years? 20 years?

So where does the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board (HMDCB) come in? HMDCB is a standalone certification board offering certification to eligible physicians. Hospice physicians can apply to take our exam and earn the Hospice Medical Director Certified® (HMDC®) credential. The difference between HMDCB and the ABMS/AOA certification is that HMDCB offers an experiential practice pathway.

HMDCB has 3 pathways to certification:
1. Certification: already being AMBS/AOA certified in the HPM subspecialty
2. Practice: having two (2) years of work experience in hospice during the previous 5 years
3. Training: successful completion of a 12-month clinical HPM training program

With these three ways to qualify, it opens doors to those who may not have the means to currently be certified through ABMS/AOA. HMDCB always encourages those who are able to participate in a fellowship program do so, but it is understood that many physicians enter the hospice industry mid-career, and taking a year off may not be possible. HMDCB seeks to certify all deserving physicians who have the knowledge and skills to hold the industry to a high standard of care.

With heightened regulations, it is necessary that hospice physicians stay up to date and knowledgeable about standards in the industry. HMDCB hopes to relieve suffering and improve quality of life by promoting the excellence and professional competency of hospice medical directors and hospice physicians.

Join the discussion Wednesday, December 9 at 9pm ET/6pm PT on Twitter using the hastag #hpm

Follow @HMDcert for the latest on the Hospice Medical Director Certification process.
Follow @HPMchat on Twitter for all the latest on #hpm chats.

If you are new to Tweetchats, you do not need a Twitter account to follow along. Try using the search function on Twitter. If you do have a Twitter account, we recommend using tchat.io, for ease of following.

You can access the transcripts and analytics of #hpm chats through @Symplur. 

Allison Lundberg is the Account Manager for the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board. 

Image credit: Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Release Date: December 2014