National Healthcare Decision Day

Mohana Karlekar, MD, medical director of the Palliative Care program, right, teaches medical and nursing students about how to have positive conversations with patients about advance directives for healthcare.

Events to focus on education about advance directives

Health care professionals throughout the United States are encouraging patients and their families to document their preferences related to their health care during an awareness campaign known as National Healthcare Decisions Day, celebrated on Tuesday, April 16. Vanderbilt University Medical Center is hosting several events for employees to promote the importance of completing an advance directive for health care.

Initiative stresses importance of advance directives

While many might prefer to not think about dying, healthcare professionals throughout the United States are encouraging patients and their families to do just that during a national awareness campaign April 16-22 that promotes the importance of completing an advance directive for healthcare.