Barbara Sigler

The meeting included introductions by the Chair, noting increasing state-level activity in palliative care and acknowledging council vacancies. The council discussed recent meetings with the Maryland Department of Health focusing on the AHEAD Model and palliative care integration. The legislative outlook highlighted anticipated bills, including potential reintroduction of physician-assisted suicide legislation and concerns regarding the Maryland Health Care Decisions Act, such as public confusion about Advanced Care Planning (ACP) terminology and the need for education funding. Technology updates covered document accessibility challenges within CRISP, specifically concerning over 378,000 inaccessible ACP documents, and outreach efforts to increase ACP completion. The council also discussed upcoming events, ongoing membership recruitment for 11 open positions, and proposed quarterly meetings, with potential increases during the legislative session. A proposal for a short public-facing annual report for 2025 was introduced, and it was announced that the Maryland MOLST document would be translated into Spanish.

The meeting included discussions on the Community and Clinical Data Initiative (CODI), which aims to connect community and clinical data to understand the impact of social services on health. Updates were provided on Longevity Ready Maryland (LRN), a cross-agency activity preparing Maryland for longer lives by building a longevity ecosystem to guide state aging policies. The commission reviewed shared priorities with various Maryland Departments, including Health, Human Services, Housing & Community Development, Service and Civic Innovation, and Planning. Topics included addressing the challenges of transitions between different programs for individuals, housing crises, social isolation, and leveraging the skills and talents of older adults.

The meeting included updates on the Senior Call Check and Social Connections Program, Senior Care program, and Commodities Food Program. A presentation was given on the Maryland Department on Aging's data dashboard, part of the Longevity Ready Maryland (LRM) plan, focusing on its ability to provide demographic data and program impact. An update was provided on the SOAR Bill, which streamlines programs for older adults and addresses the delivery system for three separate State funded programs. The Longevity Ready Maryland plan, awaiting Federal approval in June, was also discussed.

The meeting included updates on Senate Bill 837, designed to increase the number of advance directives completed in Maryland, and discussions regarding its progress and challenges. The council addressed concerns raised by opponents, particularly insurance companies and hospitals, regarding the mandate to provide information about advance directives. There was also discussion on increasing accessibility to advance directives, addressing misinformation, and ensuring that healthcare providers can easily access patient information in CRISP. Additionally, the council discussed a case regarding prisoners being denied visits from a chaplain at the end of life.

The council discussed National Healthcare Decisions Day 2024, including outreach activities and the importance of official recognition by State law. The council also discussed a letter to the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) requesting information and certain statistics, including the insurance carriers' first year of experience with the law promoting advance directives and what they plan to do differently next year. Also, the council discussed the palliative care workgroup convened by the MHCC to review the state of palliative care in Maryland. Finally, the council discussed end-of-life care in prisons workgroup.