The inaugural meeting of The Goals of Care Coalition of NJ meets ahead of National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD)

PRINCETON, N.J., April 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The inaugural meeting of The Goals of Care Coalition of NJ (GOCCNJ) was held at the NJ Hospital Association (NJHA) in Princeton last week to formally announce the formation of the Coalition and launch an initiative to improve end-of-life care throughout NJ.

Leaders of NJ healthcare systems, government agencies, and community organizations dedicated to improving the standard for end-of-life care participated in the event. In a series of round-table discussions, experts in geriatrics, palliative medicine/hospice, and patient advocacy shared their perspectives on shifting the focus in end-of-life care to one that genuinely respects the wishes of patients and their loved ones.

"NJ has the 3^rd most diverse patient population and the 1^st most diverse healthcare provider population in the nation creating significant barriers to care. This was an important gathering where we could bring together the leading experts in end-of-life care in NJ to address these barriers and the urgent needs regarding advance care planning in our own state," said Dr. David Barile, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Goals of Care Coalition of NJ.

Today, patients near the end of life in NJ are treated with more aggressive medical care than any other state in the US—costing more than 20% above the national average.¹ This type of high-intensity health service can often result in burdensome and unwanted care for patients and families.  More facts and figures about end-of-life care in NJ may be obtained at www.goalsofcare.org/patients-family/faqs/.

Experts agree there are numerous factors involved that contribute to these trends, but a critical one is the lack of quality communication between patients/families and health care providers. To address this need, GOCCNJ has free resources to help facilitate this important conversation at www.goalsofcare.org

The Goals of Care Coalition of NJ is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to ensure that everyone involved in decisions about treatment in the final stages of life knows a patient's goals and preferences so they receive the care they want and no less, and the care they need and no more. The GOCCNJ is grateful for the generosity of our donors and, in particular, to the Baldwin-Sieck Family Fund for their generous support in building the coalition and who share our commitment to improving care for the seriously ill in NJ.

1. Dartmouth Atlas of Healthcare from 2008 - 2014.

Goals of Care Coalition of NJ (GOCCNJ) www.goalsofcare.org

SOURCE Goals of Care Coalition of New Jersey

Related Links

http://www.goalsofcare.org