On Tuesday, April 17 and Wednesday, April 18, Aurora BayCare held a free, community screening of the documentary "Being Mortal". After the screening, audience members participated in a guided conversation by panel members on how to take concrete steps to identify and communicate wishes about end-of-life goals and preferences.
Panel members leading the discussion included:
- Dr. Lonika Sood, internal medicine physician
- Alyson Capp, Clinical Ethicist
- Kristen Moen, Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Randy Cash, Registered Nurse
- Renee Lubinski, Board Certified Teaching Chaplain
Based on the best-selling book by Dr. Atul Gawande, "Being Mortal" delves into the hopes of patients and families facing terminal illness. The film investigates the practice of caring for the dying and explores the relationships between patients and their doctors while explaining how a patient's true wishes can be known and honored at the end through an advance directive. Aurora BayCare provides these free of charge along with quarterly workshops for the general public.
The purpose of the film screening and discussion was to bring to light the importance of people planning ahead and talking with family members about end-of-life decisions in hopes of changing the culture around mortality.
This event was made possible by a grant from The John and Wauna Harman Foundation in partnership with the Hospice Foundation of America.