Holy Name Press Releases

Holy Name Medical Center Helps Host Hospice and Palliactive Care Symposium

Save Latin America Joins Holy Name’s Familia y Salud and Villa Marie Claire at Event for Seniors

May 11, 2017

Holy Name Medical Center's Familia Y Salud Program, in partnership with Save Latin America, held the first annual Senior Symposium on Saturday, April 29th at the Jose Marti Academy, 1800 Summit Avenue, Union City, NJ. to help senior citizens prepare for end-of-life care.

Staff members from Holy Name's residential hospice center, Villa Marie Claire in Saddle River, offered a workshop about hospice and palliative care. They spoke about the cultural beliefs and myths surrounding death, the difference between hospice and palliative care and how to complete the POLST (Practitioner Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) form.

"We're pleased our Familia y Salud program is reaching so many people in the Hispanic community, providing them with the highest quality, culturally-sensitive health care as well as educational seminars and preventive screenings," said Michael Maron, President and CEO of Holy Name. "With these outreach efforts we will continue to improve the health of the entire community."

The presenters explained the difference between an advance directive, which is a legal document that allows individuals to share their wishes with their health care team if they can't speak for themselves and the POLST form. The POLST is only completed at the end of life and summarizes the patients' wishes in the form of medical orders. It does not replace an advance directive, but rather works in tandem. POLST is a standardized form used throughout the U.S.

The presentation was given in English and simultaneously translated to Spanish. Attendees were able to review a copy of the POLST form.

For more information on hospice and palliative care, contact Hilda Ventimiglia at the Center for Healthy Living at Holy Name via email at h-ventimiglia@holyname.org or call 201-833-3308.

Photos for the event available upon request.

The Familia y Salud program was developed to expand Holy Name Medical Center's Hispanic outreach initiatives by providing the highest level of healthcare to members of the Hispanic community and, consistent with the Medical Center's ministry of healing, to provide services and programs in a culturally sensitive and caring environment. In collaboration with physicians and allied health professionals, the program offers information and referrals as well as educational programs, seminars, preventative screenings and Affordable Care Act enrollment seminars at the Medical Center's campus and at off-campus locations for residents of Bergen, Hudson and Passaic counties. With highly credentialed physicians, representing dozens of medical specialties, Holy Name Medical Center's Familia y Salud program provides a broad network of doctors with offices in Hudson County. To learn more about the Familia y Salud program, visit FamiliaYSalud.org.

Villa Marie Claire provides a peaceful, welcoming environment for residents to spend this chapter of life's journey with dignity and comfort, enabling patients, caretakers and loved ones to function as partners. To ensure this, a key aspect of resident care focuses on fostering a pain-free existence through symptom management and supportive therapies. During this phase of each resident's life, the Villa Marie Claire team recognizes the importance of also caring for the caregivers. It is in this spirit that staff members provide support and counseling services to residents' loved ones.