Vermont Country Store issues Challenge Grant

The Vermont Country Store gave a strong vote of confidence in our Speak Sooner initiative by supporting a challenge grant for expanding programs using the Difficult Conversations Toolkit at Rutland Regional Medical Center (RRMC). Dr. Allan D. Eisemann, Medical Director of, RRMC’s Cancer Center/ Palliative Care/Hospice tells us, “Each workbook chapter opens doors for better […]

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“Illness Does Not Just Impact One Person: getting patients, families and doctors on the same page” Presentation and Panel Discussion at Burr and Burton Academy, Manchester, VT

We all came together on a rainy blustery evening at Burr and Burton Academy to learn more about Speak Sooner – an initiative of the Center for Communication in Medicine (CCM). We had a vibrant panel representing many walks of life – patient, doctor, family member, spiritual advisor, psychologist and medical humanist – showing we […]

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Difficult Conversations Pilot Program Launched at RRMC

In November we launched a pilot program to explore how to most effectively implement our Difficult Conversations workbook and video in an institutional context. In the pilot program the toolkit is being introduced to patients and their family members by doctors, nurses and social workers at RutlandRegionalMedicalCenter’s cancer center, in-patient palliative care service and VNA/Hospice.

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Community Education Program Presented for Hospice & Palliative Care Awareness Month

As part of the regional implementation of our SpeakSooner Initiative, and made possible by the sponsorship of Rutland Regional Medical Center, we presented a community education program in honor of Hospice & Palliative Care Awareness Month. This program featured a screening of our Difficult Conversations video for members of the public, followed by a panel […]

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CCM Presents “Good Communication Is Good Medicine” Seminar to Human Resource Managers

CCM was invited to present a seminar entitled “Good Communication Is Good Medicine” to human resource managers at the Philadelphia, PA headquarters of Health Advocate. Health Advocate is an independent healthcare advocacy and assistance company that helps clients (patients and family members) navigate the often complex healthcare system, including offering tools to help patients make more informed decisions and get more value out of the healthcare system. 

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