FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Initiative to Assist African Americans with Serious Illness and End-of-Life Advance Care Planning (ACP) Launches During National Hospice and Palliative Care Month
CARY, NORTH CAROLINA, USA, November 3, 2021 – November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month and Dr. Gloria Thomas Anderson is raising awareness about the longstanding gap when it comes to African Americans and planning for serious illness and emergency healthcare. Officially launching this month, Advance Care Planning for African Americans (ACP for AA) is an educational outreach initiative partnering with organizations to provide credible and culturally responsive resources to help bridge the racial disparity gap in healthcare.
Dr. Anderson, founder of Heart Tones™, explains, “Almost everyone agrees that there’s an urgent need to address health literacy related to end-of-life care in Black communities. This initiative presents much-needed support to help counter disparities by providing trustworthy information and resources that promote informed healthcare decision-making.”
Studies* show there is a significantly lower percentage of Black individuals of all ages who have completed living wills, also known as “advance directives.” This form provides a legal document that tells doctors and loved ones what healthcare is wanted in case of serious or emergency illness. ACP for AA will help support African American families and caregivers by:
- providing credible and culturally relevant healthcare-related information and resources;
- promoting conversational engagement about advance care planning options and preferences;
- preparing the necessary steps to complete advance care documents and choose a healthcare advocate, if unable to speak for oneself.
To kick off the initiative, ACP for AA has partnered with the Montgomery Hospice and Prince George’s Hospice Center for Learning to provide resources to citizens of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland. Its team of doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, spiritual counselors, social workers, certified nursing assistants, bereavement counselors and volunteers work with patients and their families to provide quality end-of-life care in homes and nursing homes, and extended care facilities in both Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
Terrie James-Taylor, Director of Outreach & Facilities at Montgomery Hospice & Prince George’s Hospice, says this about being part of ACP for AA, “It’s been an honor and a pleasure to work with Dr. Gloria Thomas Anderson in bringing awareness on ACP for AA to the Montgomery County & Prince George’s County residents, and also in sharing with Black-owned health care agencies in Prince George’s County the importance of having their staff knowledgeable on ACP. The Center for Learning has made it possible for the communities we serve in Maryland to have access to Dr. Anderson’s book, The African American Spiritual and Ethical Guide to End-of-Life Care, which has been an invaluable resource in our efforts to help bridge the disparity gap.”
ACP for AA™ is a nationwide initiative of Heart Tones™, and is sponsored by a grant from The John and Wauna Harman Foundation.
For more information, visit www.acpforaa.org.
Download a copy of this press release.
About Heart Tones™
Heart Tones™ is a literary arts ministry founded in 1986 by Dr. Gloria Thomas Anderson. Heart Tones™ provides educational workshops, inspirational products, and helpful resources related to all seasons of life common to humanity, such as love, loss, and life itself. Our genuine commitment is to offer relevant and effective consultation, services and products that help those who are helping others experience, acquire and maintain the quality of life they desire. Heart Tones is committed to delivering the educational resources, services and tools that can enhance and improve communication between providers and patients of diverse backgrounds.
About ACP for AA
ACP for AA™, an initiative of Heart Tones™, is a nationwide educational outreach initiative partnering with organizations to help bridge the racial disparity gap in healthcare delivery, and is sponsored by a grant from The John and Wauna Harman Foundation. The mission of ACP for AA is to promote healthcare decision-making through advance care planning conversations, education, and preparation that help bridge disparity gaps for Black Americans. ACP for AA™ is pleased to partner with Montgomery Hospice and Prince George’s Hospice Center for Learning to provide ACP resources to citizens of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland.
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