Course Offerings 2011-Click here to register for a class

• Overview and Trends in Palliative Medicine
  Presenters: Gwen Kolegue ARNP-BC, MSN; Beth Reilly ARNP, MSN; CHPN; Lolita Melhado, ARNP, MSN;
  Nancy Roberts, RN; Bruce Lipschutz , D.O., F.A.C.P.
• Allowing Natural Death versus DNR: A Health Providers Perspective
  Presenter: Jo Stecher, MA, RN, BC, CCTC
• Pain and Symptom Management at End of Life
  Presenter: Mary Stegman, MD
• Symptom Management at End of Life
  Presenter: Susan C. McMillan, PhD, ARNP, FAAN
• On Children and Death
  Presenter: Marie Hepp, RN/ARNP, MS, CHPN
• Spirituality and Coping at End of Life: The Role of the Health Provider
  Presenters: Shirley Ruder, RN, MS, EdD and Barbara Kruse, ARNP, PhD
• Dealing with Grief and Loss: A Health Provider’s Perspective
  Presenter: Philip Roland, MD, FACS, FACOG
• Communication in End-of-Life Care: The ALS Patient - Compassion, Care, Hope
  Presenter: Dr. Brian Guthrie and Maureen Leahy

The first seven Online Education: Healthcare - Palliative and Hospice Care modules were developed from
presentations at the regional healthcare conference held in Fort Myers, FL, Body, Mind, Spirit –
An Interdisciplinary Approach: Managing End of Life Care, presented by Florida Gulf Coast University,
Lee Memorial Health System in conjunction with The Southwest Florida Coalition Improving End-of-Life Care
held in Estero, Florida. Other modules are in development in cooperationwith the Fort Myers Ministerial
Association and other organizations.

FGCU thanks the professionals who generously shared their expertise at the conference event and who
also helped make this valuable information more broadly accessible by participating in this inaugural
Online Education program.

Timely, accessible and current healthcare education is a priority given the current healthcare environment and the
compelling requirements for recruitment and retention of qualified staff. Licensure education requirements must be
met, the hospital standards must be conveyed, and the staff requirements must be maintained to keep abreast of
advances in the field(s). The challenges of providing in-house education to a 24/7 staff are considerable.

FGCU has been privileged to partner with a number of healthcare agencies in the development of the
Online Education: Healthcare - Palliative and Hospice Care modules. We would be pleased to discuss your agency's
educational needs throughthe development of additional online education modules, creating programs that have
mutually inclusive benefits to the employees and to the corporation through:

• Timely completion of licensure requirements
• The provision of new educational programs to meet needs identified
• Cost effectiveness
• Better productivity
• Better staff morale

Healthcare – Palliative and Hospice Care Program - Click here to register for a class

Program Background and Acknowledgements

Here in Southwest Florida, it's recognized that, given the general population as well as the workforce
(over 30,000 healthcare employees), the projected nationwide surge in geriatric populations as Baby-Boomers
enter retirement, and the fact that in 2006, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) voted unanimously
to establish a new medical subspecialty of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, a need for high quality yet flexible
education in the healthcare arena – specifically focused on "the older adult" - exists.

A recent (4/15/08) Wall Street Journal article, Geriatric Care Is Facing Crisis-Surge in Training Called for to Meet
Exploding Demand, alludes to another challenge: "...you need...health-care professionals who have a spare
moment to be providing high-quality teaching." Considering the shortage in qualified healthcare professionals
as well as nursing faculty in academia, one can see there is opportunity for improvement. Perhaps technology
can provide the needed leverage in meeting continuing education needs in healthcare?

To meet these needs, FGCU's Continuing Education and Off-Campus Programs Division has worked
collaboratively with the following to develop the new Online Education: Healthcare – Palliative and Hospice
Care Program:

• Fawcett Memorial Hospital,
• The Department of Academic & Media Technology Services,
• The Coalition Improving End-of-Life Care, including

               o FGCU's College of Health Professions, and Department of Social Work,

               o Lee Memorial Health System,

               o Southwest Regional Medical Center (now a part of Lee Memorial Health System),

               o The Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer's Resource Center, and

               o Hope Healthcare Services.

• and many area agencies, entities, and individuals.

About the Southwest Florida Coalition Improving End-of-Life Care

The Coalition is a group dedicated to quality of life for persons at the end of life and their families.
The Coalition was organized in Lee County, Florida, September 2000, following the Bill Moyers production of
Life on Your Own Terms. At the time, hospice and palliative care was not recognized as a medical specialty.
Few healthcare professionals received training specific to end-of-life care issues and practice, an important
concern to many locally, given the general population as well as the workforce (over 30,000 healthcare
employees) in Southwest Florida, in addition to the projected nationwide surge in geriatric populations as
Baby-Boomers enter retirement. As an area for research, there was much to be done.

Southwest Florida is somewhat unique in attracting large numbers of individuals, particularly “retired” people,
from other parts of the country, each bringing different perspectives and understandings about end of life care.
Many had not considered the topic before, but with advanced age and a new community, were now faced with
decisions. A need existed to educate the general public about the services and options available in the area.

For the professional audience, a similar need existed. Individuals came to the area with varying educational
backgrounds. The middle-aged RN (diploma school graduate) often desired to return to the field after years at
home. Some had attended 4-year programs, but had little experience with end of life. Many were ill-prepared
to deal with it.

It was recognized that community education, professional continuing education, and coordination of care,
dialogue between agencies, and an interdisciplinary approach to end of life care were crucial in providing the
best quality of care to patients.

Mission: The Southwest Florida Coalition is a group of people dedicated toward improving end-of-life care,
from diagnosis to death, through research, education, and dialogue.

Vision: All persons living in Southwest Florida will have equal access to the highest quality of healthcare at
the end of life.

Purpose: The purpose of the Coalition is to improve the quality of dying for all persons and their families who
reside in Southwest Florida.

Founding institutions: Florida Gulf Coast University College of Health Professions, Hope Healthcare Services,
Lee Memorial Health System, and Southwest Regional Medical Center (now a part of Lee Memorial Health
System). The Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center became an active member in 2004. The Coalition has
grown and worked toward improving end of life care in the region by sponsoring various educational and
community activities.