The Interfaith Center of New York applauds the Obama Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid for taking the necessary steps to establish funding codes that would reimburse physicians and other qualified health care professionals to conduct voluntary conversations with critically ill people and their families regarding their care goals and treatment preferences.
We learned from listening to experts at ICNY’s Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer Retreat on “Harnessing Spirituality and Religion in End-of-Life Care” and in our collaboration with the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care the value in holding these conversations in ensuring that human dignity is respected and honored in end-of-life medical treatment. Our diverse religious leaders often play a key role in providing spiritual care and they look forward to working with clinicians in helping ill persons and their families make informed care decisions.
