Podcast appearances and mentions of Ira Byock

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We've covered psychedelics on the podcast before—first in 2019 with Ira Byock, where we explored their potential role in medicine, and then again in 2023 with Stacy Fischer, Brian Anderson, and Theora Cimino, focusing on the reasons to approach psychedelic use in patients with caution. In today's episode, we're taking a closer look at the current state of the science around one specific psychedelic: psilocybin. We'll discuss three recent clinical trials involving patients with serious illness, joined by our guests James Downar, Ali John Zarrabi, and Margaret Ross.  We begin with a refresher on psilocybin—what it is, how it might work, what conditions it may help treat (including demoralization), and how it's typically administered. What makes this episode especially compelling is our deep dive into the three studies, which highlight two different approaches to using psilocybin: daily microdosing, similar to traditional antidepressants, and a more intensive model known as psilocybin-assisted therapy. This latter approach involves three structured phases—preparation, the dosing session, and post-session integration with trained therapists.

Picture a hospital room late at night, the soft hum of machines in the background. A family gathers quietly around their loved one, unsure how to navigate the complexities of end-of-life care. It's a scene playing out every day across the country, highlighting a crucial yet often neglected part of healthcare—the way we care for people as their lives near an end. Joining me today is Ira Byock, a renowned physician, author, and passionate advocate for palliative care, whose groundbreaking work has transformed how we think about living—and dying—well. As the Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Community & Family Medicine, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Ira has dedicated his career to ensuring that end-of-life care is compassionate, comprehensive, and patient-centered. From developing the influential Missoula Demonstration Project to leading the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's initiatives on end-of-life care, Ira's pioneering efforts have touched millions of lives. Drawing deeply from his early experiences in rural family medicine, Ira witnessed firsthand the profound gaps in care for dying patients, sparking a lifelong mission to humanize healthcare. His belief that moments of crisis can also be opportunities for growth and wellbeing and reshaped our understanding of what it means to care for the whole person. In this episode, we explore Ira's remarkable journey—from a young physician confronting ethical dilemmas, to a visionary leader reshaping the landscape of hospice and palliative care. We'll discuss the challenges of balancing compassionate care with a profit-driven healthcare system, the transformative power of treating patients as whole people, and Ira's innovative vision for a more humane and effective healthcare future. Do you have thoughts on this episode or ideas for future guests? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at hello@rosenmaninstitute.org.  

The creation of the modern hospice movement was a major advance in the care for people with terminal illnesses. Alas, in recent years, hospice has entered something of a crisis, with too many facilities offering inadequate care and some patients receiving short shrift of services to which they are entitled. To get to the bottom of the problem, Wesley invited Read More ›

A cutting-edge exploration of the role of psychedelics in the end-of-life experience• Outlines 10 steps for dying gracefully with the help of psychedelics, including how to navigate the complex legal landscape and find the right guide and therapy• Looks at clinical studies of psychedelics from UCLA, Johns Hopkins, and NYU School of Medicine that show dramatic lessening of end-of-life anxiety in terminally ill patients• Shares wisdom from experts on psychedelic research and palliative care, including Roland Griffiths, Katherine MacLean, Ira Byock, and Anthony BossisExamining the evolving landscape that is found around end-of-life psychedelic care, Dr. Richard Louis Miller, a clinical psychologist for more than half a century, looks at how LSD, MDMA, psilocybin, and ayahuasca can be vital tools in allowing individuals in all stages of life to confront fears of dying and, in so doing, lead richer lives.Miller shares wisdom from experts on the frontiers of psychedelic research and palliative care—including Roland Griffiths, Katherine MacLean, Ira Byock, and Anthony Bossis—and examines cutting-edge studies from Johns Hopkins, UCLA, and NYU School of Medicine that show dramatically decreased anxiety in terminally ill patients through the use of psychedelics. He explores how different substances can help the dying overcome their end-of-life distress. He also provides testimony from researchers and patients participating in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy that helps convey the experience of ego death at the heart of the psychedelic experience.Miller outlines 10 steps for dying gracefully, without fear, with the help of psychedelics. He examines how to navigate the complex legal landscape and find the right guide, dose, and therapy. He also includes reflections from key figures in the psychedelic community as well as some of his own psychedelically informed mystical and near-death experiences.Revealing psychedelics as a portal of transformation, Miller shows how they are singularly valuable in helping individuals face the end of life with courage and serenity.Richard Louis Miller, M.A., Ph.D., has been a clinical psychologist for more than 60 years. He is host of the internet radio broadcast Mind Body Health & Politics, the founder of the internationally acclaimed Cokenders Alcohol and Drug Program, and creator of the Health Sanctuary at Wilbur Hot Springs. He has been a faculty member at the University of Michigan and Stanford University and an advisor on the President's Commission on Mental Health. He lives in Fort Bragg and Wilbur Hot Springs, California.https://www.drrichardlouismiller.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/earth-ancients--2790919/support.

In this crossover podcast episode, host Chris Comeaux does a recap of the top podcasts of 2024.  First for TCNtalks with amazing guests like New York Times best-selling author John Burke, Peter Benjamin, Dr. Ira Byock, and Judi Lund Person.Chris then does a recap from our first year of our new podcast, the Anatomy of Leadership, with great guests such as Quint Studer, Meridith Elliott Powell, John Locke, and Brian Jaudon.Additionally, Chris introduces the intriguing concept of the "One Word," which serves as a thematic or guiding principle for the upcoming year.  This is a great piece of wisdom Teleios and many of it's members practice every year.  This is a much more powerful way to set the tone and intention for your upcoming year and is much more useful than a New Year's Resolution which seem to wane about thirty days into the New Year.  By looking back on the past year and gazing forward, individuals can gain clarity about their personal causes and purposes.  Selecting a One Word for the year can offer a focused and directional approach to both personal and professional life.Host:  Chris Comeaux, MLAS, CPA; President/CEO of Teleios Collaborative Network and Teleios Consulting GroupTeleios Collaborative Network / https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

Death Doula Global Summit Speaker Spotlight: Brad Wolfe, Founder of Reimagine EOL What if confronting mortality could be the key to living a more meaningful life? Join us as we host Brad Wolf, the visionary founder and executive director of Reimagine End of Life, who shares his deeply personal journey and the pivotal experiences that led him to break down the taboos surrounding death through arts, spirituality, healthcare, and design. Brad recounts early inspirations, like his grandmother's wisdom and the impactful loss of his friend Sarah, demonstrating how mortality can serve as a powerful catalyst for living more fully.  Through our conversation with Brad, we uncover the profound wisdom shared by those facing the end of life, including valuable teachings from thought leaders Frank Ostaseski and Ira Byock. We touch on the transformative power of forgiveness, gratitude, and the importance of meaningful relationships. Hear touching stories, such as that of young volunteer Grace, and learn how the pandemic has reshaped our approach to these essential conversations. Additionally, Brad gives us a glimpse into an upcoming festival dedicated to creating space for vital end-of-life discussions. Explore the transformative practices of writing legacy letters and love letters to oneself, and the importance of rituals and mindfulness in healing. Brad talks about Reimagine's remarkable initiatives, like the "Creating Space" festival and the "Mourning into Unity" initiative, which bring people together to support each other through grief and healing. Finally, Suzanne O'Brien wraps up the Death Doula Global Summit interview with heartfelt gratitude and anticipation for future discussions, leaving us inspired to integrate the wisdom of elders and face life and death with courage and compassion.       We dive into: (04:01 - 04:52) Rediscovering the Value of Aging (09:39 - 11:47) Universal Laws and Common Humanity (14:11 - 15:52) Innovative Human-Centered Design Approach (21:45 - 23:42) Zoom Challenges and Opportunities (34:01 - 35:33) Path to Hospice and Consciousness (43:51 - 44:59) Sharing Wisdom in End-of-Life Care         We want to hear from you!!! If you found this podcast helpful, Please Rate, Review, & Follow so we can reach more people.     Links mentioned in this episode: Doulagivers Institute The NEXT Free Level 1 End of Life Doula Training Registration LINK  The NEXT Free Doulagivers Discovery Webinar  Reimagine Organization   80-90% of a positive end of life depends on these two things: Knowing the basic skills on how to care for someone at the end of life and planning ahead - and BOTH Doulagivers Institute is giving you for FREE! Access them Below! Making your wishes known is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your loved ones. Download The Doulagivers 9 Choice Advance Directive now! It's FREE!     More about what we do at Doulagivers Institute - Click here! More about Brad Wolfe and his music - Click here! 

Today's disagreement is on medical aid in dying. In the United States, this term refers to the right for a terminally ill, adult patient to end their own life by taking a medication prescribed by a doctor. Medical aid in dying is currently legal in ten states and Washington, D.C.We've brought together an activist and a doctor to dive into the topic:Dr. Ira Byock is a physician, author, and advocate for palliative care — the medical practice of treating people with serious, complex, and terminal illnesses. Ira is the founder of the Providence St. Joseph Health Institute for Human Caring and is an emeritus professor of medicine and professor of community health and family medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College.Kim Callinan is an end-of-life leader and advocate in the field of medical aid in dying. She is President and Chief Executive Officer of Compassion & Choices, an organization that aims to “improve care, expand options and empower everyone to chart their end-of-life journey.”Today we ask a wide range of important questions on medical aid in dying.How broken is end-of-life care in America? And how should we fix it?What are the potential risks and benefits of implementing medical aid in dying?How should we be thinking about death, dying, and the end-of-life for our loved ones?And one more very exciting note: today's disagreement is facilitated by Catherine Cushenberry, one of our producers and someone who has been helping to bring the idea for this podcast to life from the very beginning. Catherine is also a healthcare industry veteran and the perfect facilitator for this topic.And as you'll hear, she's awesome at it.Show NotesCurrent state of end-of-life care [03:25]Palliative care [07:45]Question of unintended consequences [12:56]Defining medical aid in dying [16:47]Effect of medical aid in dying on end-of-life care [22:36]Medical aid in dying outside the U.S. [28:02]Process of medical aid in dying [33:56]Is there a slippery slope? [37:30]Reasons why people choose medical aid in dying [43:21]Financial incentives [47:08]Steelmanning [51:05]

Nesta terceira e última parte do episódio final do Podcast da Irmã Morte, nós continuamos falando sobre a fase da 'transcendência' da experiência de aproximação da morte, conforme o livro 'The Grace in Dying', de Kathleen Dowling Singh.Partilhando algumas histórias de atendimento, eu abordo os fenômenos espirituais comumente associados à experiência de aproximação da morte, bem como algumas das tarefas nas quais as pessoas que estão morrendo podem se empenhar a fim de encontrar sentido e paz no final da vida.  Livros: - The Grace in Dying: A Message of Hope, Comfort and Spiritual Transformation, Kathleen Dowling Singh.- The Four Things That Matter Most: A Book About Living, Ira Byock. - Dancing Standing Still: Healing the World from a Place of Prayer, Richard Rohr- Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, Thomas Merton. - The Sacred Heart of the World: Restoring Mystical Devotion to Our Spiritual Life, David Richo.Artigo: - Emanuel et al. 'The Dying Role'.  Journal of Palliative Medicine, v.10, 1. 159-169 (2007). Música: 'Home' -  Cody Martin

This episode features our interview with palliative care physician, author and public advocate Dr. Ira Byock. He is the author of 'The Four Things that Matter Most' and 'The Best Care Possible', available now. We chat with him about his philosophical approach to dying, whether we should rebrand palliative care, privatizing healthcare and much more. For more information about Ira, visit his website: https://irabyock.org/ For more information visit: https://waitingroomrevolution.com Our theme song is Maypole by Ketsa and is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

This episode of the Waiting Room Revolution features our interview with palliative care physician, author, and public advocate Dr. Ira Byock. He is the author of 'The Four Things that Matter Most' and 'The Best Care Possible', available now. We chatted with him about his philosophical approach to dying, whether we should rebrand palliative care, privatize healthcare, and much more. For more information about Ira, visit his website: https://irabyock.org/ For more information visit: https://waitingroomrevolution.com Our theme song is Maypole by Ketsa and is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Have you come to terms with a diagnosis, only to later feel lost and frustrated all over again? Pushing your body to fight through pain and exhaustion is not the only way to manage living with chronic illness. There is a better way. Healing goes deeper than curing and brings together all aspects of your life relating to illness. BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER:- The difference between being "cured" and embracing the journey of "healing"- How to take responsibility and empower yourself no matter what the diagnosis- Why healing and death are not mutually exclusiveI've created an Autoimmune Symptom Relief Guide to help you weather storms with more ease and self-compassion.It is a non medical guide that contains top tips for managing autoimmune flares and finding daily relief without the help of medications!Learn how to manage episodes on YOUR terms - through self-care rituals, adaptogenic herbs, lifestyle tweaks and more.So if you're ready to weather autoimmune storms with more ease and self-compassion, click the link below to sign up for the guide!CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE GUIDEOTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:"The Four Things That Matter Most" by Dr. Ira Byock"Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom" by Dr. Christiane Northrup  Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts“A must listen for anyone dealing with such chronic illnesses or anyone looking at improving their overall health and wellness”

When the ideals of hospice care—the very essence of compassion and dignity at life's end—are at stake, it's time for a hard look at the truths we're facing. That's just what we do as I sit with Dr. Ira Byock, a visionary in hospice and palliative care, to address the heartache and hope within this critical healthcare sector. Dr. Byock, with his transformative book "The Four Things That Matter Most," guides us through the noble roots of hospice care and into the thick of its current crisis, urging us to acknowledge the flaws and fight for the reform this field so desperately needs.Amidst our candid talk, we confront the sobering inconsistencies in care quality that too many patients endure. Sharing firsthand accounts, we discuss the reality of stretched-thin staff, emergency response shortfalls, and the emotional toll on families, juxtaposed with the defensive postures of industry bodies resistant to change. Dr. Byock insists on the power of apology and transparency in the journey toward healing and betterment, sparking a conversation on the complex dynamics of non-profit and for-profit models and the overarching need for accountability.The call to action is clear: rekindle the hospice community's commitment to its foundational values and ensure that every caregiver and patient experiences the excellence they deserve. We underscore the intertwined fates of caregiver wellness and service quality, scrutinize the controversial metrics of pain as a quality indicator, and envision a hospice future where excellence in care is the norm, not the exception. It's an episode that not only honors the profound impact hospice care has on families but also champions a vision where such care is a guarantee for all in their final chapters.Teleios Collaborative Network / https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

Any minute, we could be dead. Someone we love could be gone. We do not know get to know the time of our death. Dr. Ira Byock wrote "The Four Things That Matter Most: A Book About Living". He found through his years as an emergency physician and Hospice physician that the dying often turn inwards, become softer, and retrace the footsteps of their lives and relationships. To affirm connections that are strained by telling loved ones The Four Things can be a life-changer, or end-of-life changer, if you will. What are the Four Things? Take a listen. https://irabyock.org/books/the-four-things-that-matter-mosthttps://theconversationproject.orgListen and read my blog: https://whilewerestillhere.com and https://grimtea.comReach me at kathy@whilewerestillhere.comStarting with Episode 56, the episode music was added. It was composed, produced and provided by Kyle Bray specifically for this show.The logo artwork was provided by Maddie's Plush Pouch.

Destinations can be great. Getting there can be great. When the destination is death, we can sometimes choose the journey. The way we process our emotions can lead to a more peaceful journey to our end of life. To leave nothing unsaid, to let those you love know how much you love them. What is your most precious possession? Dr. Ira Byock has some insights regarding this and the journey to death as a result of many years working as a Hospice physician and listening to his patients. He also is part of The Conversation Project, an organization I have mentioned here. Take a listen. Listen and read my blog: https://whilewerestillhere.com and https://grimtea.comStarting with Episode 56, the episode music was added. It was composed, produced and provided by Kyle Bray specifically for this show.The logo artwork was provided by Maddie's Plush Pouch.

An online transcript is available At the end of last year, The New Yorker and ProPublica documented fraud and mistreatment in some for-profit hospices across the country. The exposé shouted something that has been whispered for a long while in circles concerned with the care of the dying: hospice needs saving.Begun as a visionary mission run by charities, hospice care has morphed into a 22 billion dollar industry where margin trumps mission. On today's program, host Seán Collins discusses the state of hospice, its future, and ways to preserve quality of care when caring for people at the end of their lives. Guests are Drs. Ira Byock and Glen Komatsu, longtime hospice physicians and thought leaders in the field. ..Glen Komatsu, M.D.Chief Medical OfficerProvidence Hospice, Los Angeles CountyTorrance, Calif..Ira Byock, M.D., FAAHMPEmeritus Professor of MedicineGeisel School of Medicine at DartmouthAuthor, Dying Well (1997), The Four Things That Matter Most (2004), and The Best Care Possible (2012)Missoula, Mont. ..FURTHER READINGHow Hospice Became a For-Profit Hustle by Ava Kofman (New Yorker)Endgame: How the Visionary Hospice Movement Became a For-Profit Hustle by Ava Kofman (ProPublica)Joint statement from The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) responding to Ava Kofman's reporting.Dr. Tara Friedman's response to the New Yorker article (President, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine)Hospice Needs Saving by Ira Byock  (STAT First Opinion)Hospice Industry: Start with Apologies by Ira Byock (STAT First Opinion)National Hospice Locator  (Hospice Analytics)Hospice Compare (medicare.gov)A simplified description of the person from Dr. Eric Cassell's "The Nature of Suffering and the Goals of Medicine."..   

Learn about a powerful book that has been helping people heal their relationships at the end of life for almost 20 years. My special guest Dr. Ira Byock is a leading palliative care physician, author, and public advocate for improving care through the end of life. We discuss his seminal book The Four Things That Matter… Continue reading Ep. 411 The Four Things That Matter Most with Dr. Ira Byock

Physician Dr. Ira Byock is a voice for change in the hospice industry, and an advocate for quality end of life care. His many years of experience in hospice medicine, coupled with the compassion he has for people dealing with serious illness, have made him an industry leader in the U.S. According to his website (irabyock.org), he is “Founder of the Institute for Human Caring at Providence St. Joseph Health. Dr. Byock is Active Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Community & Family Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. He served as Director of Palliative Medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire from 2003 through July 2013. Dr. Byock has been involved in hospice and palliative care since 1978. His research has contributed to conceptual frameworks for the lived experience of illness that encompasses a continuum from suffering to wellbeing; related measures for subjective quality of life during illness; and effective life-completion counseling methods. From 1996 to 2006 he directed Promoting Excellence in End-of-Life Care, a national Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program that developed prototypes for concurrent palliative care of people with life-threatening conditions. He is a past president of the Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.”   What Dr. Byock's bio doesn't describe is his caring heart. It drives his dedication to identifying the issues we face in the hospice industry and offering evidence-based, practical solutions. He wants the hospice silo of healthcare to correct its own path. Dr. Byock believes hospice can heal its own dysfunction by holding providers and clinicians responsible for the care we provide and how we provide it. His articles in STAT magazine and the Journal of Palliative Medicine describe actionable, practical solutions. Hospice practitioners of every discipline can learn from Dr. Byock.   Connect with Dr. Byock at irabyock.org. Find and purchase Dr. Byock's books, including The Four Things That Matter Most, by clicking here.  Read Dr. Byock's STAT article Hospice Care Needs Saving here.  Read Dr. Byock's article Core Roles and Responsibilities of Physicians in Hospice Care: A Statement by and for U.S. Hospice and Palliative Care Physicians by clicking here.                                                                                      28 Apr 2023https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2023.0194   Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.  Follow The Heart of Hospice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  Connect with The Heart of Hospice podcast on The Whole Care Network and other caregiving podcasts by clicking here.  Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Physician Dr. Ira Byock is a voice for change in the hospice industry and an advocate for quality end of life care. His many years of experience in hospice medicine, coupled with the compassion he has for people dealing with serious illness, have made him an industry leader in the U.S.  According to his website (irabyock.org), he is “Founder of the Institute for Human Caring at Providence St. Joseph Health. Dr. Byock is Active Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Community & Family Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. He served as Director of Palliative Medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire from 2003 through July 2013. Dr. Byock has been involved in hospice and palliative care since 1978. His research has contributed to conceptual frameworks for the lived experience of illness that encompasses a continuum from suffering to wellbeing; related measures for subjective quality of life during illness; and effective life-completion counseling methods. From 1996 to 2006 he directed Promoting Excellence in End-of-Life Care, a national Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program that developed prototypes for concurrent palliative care of people with life-threatening conditions. He is a past president of the Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.”   What Dr. Byock's bio doesn't describe is his caring heart.  It drives his dedication to identifying the issues we face in the hospice industry and offering evidence-based, practical solutions.  He wants the hospice silo of healthcare to correct its own path.  Dr. Byock believes hospice can heal its own dysfunction by holding providers and clinicians responsible for the care we provide and how we provide it.  His articles in STAT magazine and the Journal of Palliative Medicine describe actionable, practical solutions.  Hospice practitioners of every discipline can learn from Dr. Byock.   Connect with Dr. Byock at irabyock.org. Find and purchase Dr. Byock's books, including The Four Things That Matter Most, by clicking here.  Read Dr. Byock's STAT article Hospice Care Needs Saving here.  Read Dr. Byock's article Core Roles and Responsibilities of Physicians in Hospice Care: A Statement by and for U.S. Hospice and Palliative Care Physicians by clicking here.                     28 Apr 2023https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2023.0194 Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.  Follow The Heart of Hospice on Facebook,  Instagram, and LinkedIn.  Connect with The Heart of Hospice podcast on The Whole Care Network and other caregiving podcasts by clicking here.  Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)  

Physician Dr. Ira Byock is a voice for change in the hospice industry, and an advocate for quality end of life care. His many years of experience in hospice medicine, coupled with the compassion he has for people dealing with serious illness, have made him an industry leader in the U.S. According to his website (irabyock.org), he is “Founder of the Institute for Human Caring at Providence St. Joseph Health. Dr. Byock is Active Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Community & Family Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. He served as Director of Palliative Medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire from 2003 through July 2013. Dr. Byock has been involved in hospice and palliative care since 1978. His research has contributed to conceptual frameworks for the lived experience of illness that encompasses a continuum from suffering to wellbeing; related measures for subjective quality of life during illness; and effective life-completion counseling methods. From 1996 to 2006 he directed Promoting Excellence in End-of-Life Care, a national Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program that developed prototypes for concurrent palliative care of people with life-threatening conditions. He is a past president of the Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.”   What Dr. Byock's bio doesn't describe is his caring heart. It drives his dedication to identifying the issues we face in the hospice industry and offering evidence-based, practical solutions. He wants the hospice silo of healthcare to correct its own path. Dr. Byock believes hospice can heal its own dysfunction by holding providers and clinicians responsible for the care we provide and how we provide it. His articles in STAT magazine and the Journal of Palliative Medicine describe actionable, practical solutions. Hospice practitioners of every discipline can learn from Dr. Byock.   Connect with Dr. Byock at irabyock.org. Find and purchase Dr. Byock's books, including The Four Things That Matter Most, by clicking here.  Read Dr. Byock's STAT article Hospice Care Needs Saving here.  Read Dr. Byock's article Core Roles and Responsibilities of Physicians in Hospice Care: A Statement by and for U.S. Hospice and Palliative Care Physicians by clicking here.                                                                                      28 Apr 2023https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2023.0194   Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.  Follow The Heart of Hospice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  Connect with The Heart of Hospice podcast on The Whole Care Network and other caregiving podcasts by clicking here.  Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

This episode features our interview with palliative care physician, author and public advocate Dr. Ira Byock. He is the author of 'The Four Things that Matter Most' and 'The Best Care Possible', available now. We chat with him about his philosophical approach to dying, whether we should rebrand palliative care, privatizing healthcare and much more. For more information about Ira, visit his website: https://irabyock.org/   For more information visit: https://waitingroomrevolution.com  Our theme song is Maypole by Ketsa and is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

In November of 2022, Ava Kofman published a piece in the New Yorker titled “How Hospice Became a For-Profit Hustle.”  Some viewed this piece as an affront to the amazing work hospice does for those approaching the end of their lives by cherry picking stories of a few bad actors to paint hospice is a bad light. For others, this piece, while painful to read, gave voice to what they have been feeling over the last decade - hospice has in some ways lost its way in a quest of promoting profit over care. On today's podcast, live from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Annual Meeting, we invite two thought leaders in the field, Ira Byock and Joseph Shega, to discuss among other things: Is hospice losing its way? Is there a difference between for-profit and not-for-profit when it comes to quality of care? What is our role as hospice and palliative care providers in advocating for high-quality hospice care? If you are interested in signing the position statement “Core Roles and Responsibilities of Physicians in Hospice Care”, click here. For a deeper diver into these issues, check out some of the following links:     Ira's Stat new article “Hospice care needs saving” GeriPal's episode on the growing role of private equity in hospice care Acquisitions of Hospice Agencies by Private Equity Firms and Publicly Traded Corporations. JAMA IM 2021 Hospice Acquisitions by Profit-Driven Private Equity Firms. JAMA Health Forum. 2021 Association of Hospice Profit Status With Family Caregivers' Reported Care Experiences.  JAMA IM 2023 A shout-out to my NPR episode on 1A titled the “State of Hospice Care”   DISCLAIMER While we filmed in Montreal during the Annual Assembly, all opinions expressed in this podcast are independent of AAHPM and HPNA, or the Annual Assembly.  Furthermore, direction to external websites is not an endorsement from AAHPM or HPNA, or the Annual Assembly.    ---------------------------  

Are you curious about palliative care? Do you know what it is or when to ask for it? Palliative care is a field that seeks to improve the quality of life for individuals facing serious illnesses or nearing the end of their lives. In this episode, we explore the world of palliative care with a leading expert in the field, Dr. Ira Byock, M.D. From the evolution of palliative care to the use of psychedelics, this episode will challenge your perceptions and offer new insights into how we can provide the best care possible for those facing life's most challenging moments.“The potential for people to be well as they die should be the next big thing in American culture!”Ira Byock, M.D. is a leading medical authority and public advocate for improving care through the end of life. Dr. Byock is an active emeritus professor of medicine and community & family medicine at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine and has been involved in hospice and palliative care since 1978. His research has contributed to conceptual frameworks for the lived experience of illness; measures for subjective quality of life during illness; and counseling methods for life completion. He is a past president of the Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.From 1996 to 2006 Dr. Byock directed a national grant project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that developed prototypes for concurrent palliative care within mainstream health care. From 2003 to mid-2013, he led the palliative care program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and the Dartmouth health system based in Lebanon, N.H. Dr. Byock has authored numerous articles in academic journals, and his first book, Dying Well, has become a standard in the field of hospice and palliative care. The Four Things That Matter Most is widely used as a counseling tool within palliative care as well as pastoral care. The Best Care Possible presents the potential for health care transformation. Dr. Byock lectures nationally and internationally.Show notes:* What is Palliative Care?* How palliative care has evolved* Treating Sharon who had Cystic Fibrosis* When Richard was hit by a Winnebago* Why treating the whole person is so important* The cost of palliative care is less than you would think* When can you ask for palliative care?* The use of psychedelics in palliative care* The fundamental nature of health and illness is not medical – It's personalLinks and references:* Psychedelic Wisdom* Psychedelic Medicine* The Best Care Possible* Taking Psychedelics SeriouslyWant the episode transcript and video? Join our Tribe!Mind Body Health & Politics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.https://www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe Get full access to Mind Body Health & Politics at www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/subscribe

Psychedelics are having a moment.  Enthusiasm is brimming.  Legalization is moving forward in several states, following the lead of Oregon and Colorado.  FDA is considering approval, shifting away from Schedule I restrictions, paving the way for use in clinical practice.  Potential use in palliative care, chronic pain, and for mood disorders is tantalizing. Early data on efficacy in patients with anxiety and demoralization are promising.  Research is exploding.  Two of our guests today, Stacy Fischer and Brian Anderson, are involved in large multicenter trials of psychedelics for patients with advanced cancer (Fischer) or life-limiting illness (Anderson).  Theora Cimino conducted an observational study (publication in the works) of marginally housed/homeless persons many of whom had experience with psychedelics. And yet there are reasons for caution.  In our prior podcast with Ira Byock on psychedelics in 2019 we talked primarily about the potential of psychedelics.  Today we largely focus on reasons for caution, including: We know almost nothing about psychedelics in older adults - only about 1% of patients in published trials were older adults, much less older adults with multiple chronic conditions, multiple medications, and frailty.  Bree Johnston and Brian Anderson wrote a terrific summary of the evidence (or lack thereof) in older adults. There is a marked lack of diversity in published trials.  Most participants are White and well-resourced.  Psilocybin, the most commonly used psychedelic, increases heart rate and blood pressure, which may potentially lead to cardiovascular events. The efficacy of psychedelics without therapy, and the impact of variations in therapy type, training, duration, is unknown. Ethical issues, including colonization of psychedelics by big pharma. Psychedelics have been used by communities around the globe for hundreds of years (or more).  We cover these issues and more in today's podcast. Note, I butchered the chorus on the YouTube version - please listen to the podcast for my souped up version with drums and bass! -@AlexSmithMD  

Dr Ira Byock - leader in palliative care, advocate for patients, and author - joins me this week. We discuss: What might it mean to “die well”? Why is the nature of serious illness more personal than medical? What are the “four things that matter most”? What does “forgiveness” mean? How do the phrases he writes about in The Four Things that Matter Most apply to any of us, at any time in our lives? This week's BLBD conversation really grabbed me, because it is about dying, sure, but it is far more about living… and living with humility and kindness.

Learn about some positive steps that are needed to heal the current hospice industry in the U.S. and how your story can make a difference. My guest Dr. Ira Byock is a leading palliative care physician, author and public advocate for improving care through the end of life. He is the author of Dying Well,… Continue reading Ep. 387 How to Save Hospice with Ira Byock MD

Spending several decades as a hospice doctor, Dr. Ira Byock learned much about the process of death. Perhaps surprisingly, though, spending years among the dying taught him even more about living.   But here's the good news, my friends: We do not have to wait until our own final days are upon us or until we are at the bedside of someone we care about to live out these end of life lessons. He's distilled years of experience into four short but mighty statements that allow us all to be liberated from the burden of regret.

Angela Mennitto, a death midwife and community educator, and Deb Traunstein, a medical social worker, in Ithaca, New York talk to us about why having end-of-life conversations is so important.  They'll discuss why it's so hard, what may happen if you don't have the conversations  and what role culture plays in how we talk about death. Resources Dr. Ira Byock is a leading palliative care physician, author, and public advocate for improving care through the end of lifeAngela Mennitto's website  The Art of Dying WellThe Conversation Project  We Really Need to Talk is funded by the Finger Lakes Geriatrics Education Center at the Ithaca College Gerontology Institute. Editing and production support provided by Dr. Becky Lane and Jay Williamson at the Center for Creative Technology at Ithaca College. Web: www.ithaca.edu/gerontology-instituteEmail us icgi@ithaca.edu

Have you ever had that moment when talking to a patient, when you realized that the phrase you just uttered, which you've uttered a hundred times before, came out rote and scripted?  Maybe some phrase you learned from a prominent podcast or VitalTalk?  And in response, the family or patient looked at you like you were from another planet?  Yeah, I've been there too. Josh Briscoe, our guests on today's podcast, argues that you've entered the Uncanny Valley.  In robotics, the Uncanny Valley is that strange almost-human-but-not-quite territory in which humanoid appearing robots repulse us with their close yet still “off” appearance.  Coming off as rote and scripted during a serious illness conversation can have a similar off-putting impact on patients and families.  Today we talk with Josh about how to anticipate and avoid the uncanny valley.  And talk about times when we've fallen into it.   Key message: Listen to the music.  All the time. ;) Links: -Uncanny Valley post on Josh's fantastic substack Notes from a Family Meeting -Anticipatory corpse book mentioned several times on the podcast -GeriPal post about teaching using YouTube (some links are old and don't work, but you get the idea, I recently gave a spontaneous talk to the palliative care fellows and was able to find the video snippets) -Ira Byock's 4 things that matter most -@AlexSmithMD

Dr. Ira Byock takes an honest and challenging look at worrisome issues within the hospice and palliative care field. My guest today is Dr. Ira Byock who is a leading palliative care physician, author, and public advocate for improving care through the end of life. He is the Founder and Chief Medical Officer for the… Continue reading Ep. 356 What Keeps Me Up at Night (about Hospice and Palliative Care) with Ira Byock MD

Whether you're a young musician thinking about careers in music, an educator looking to enhance your space with music therapy, a potential candidate for the benefits of music therapy, or just interested in listening to an inspiring story, this episode features Kourtney Tigner, the board-certified music therapist for Hospice Savannah. Kourtney received her master's degree in music with an emphasis in music therapy from Texas Woman's University (2019) and her bachelor's degree in music from the University of Montevallo (2014). She is currently pursuing the certificate of Hospice and Palliative Care Music Therapy (HPMT) from the Center for Music Therapy in End of Life Care. Kourtney finds her passion in providing comfort and compassion to those facing end-of-life issues and their families through music.In this episode, we talk about her journey to music therapy, defining the job, what it looks like, and how everyone can benefit from this field. Read more about Ms Tigner: https://www.hospicesavannah.org/what-services-are-available/hospice-care/music-massage-story-keeping/. Other links and things from this episode: hospicesavannah.org musictherapy.org Hospice and Palliative Care Music Therapy by Russell Hilliard: https://www.amazon.com/Hospice-Palliative-Care-Music-Therapy/dp/0977027813Dying Well: Peace and Possibilities by Ira Byock: https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Well-Peace-Possibilities-Life/dp/1573226572Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SX1z5bHF8CsJoin us over at Patreon.com/MusicEdMatters for monthly meet ups, monthly bonus episodes, special pre-release book content and more!Support the companies that make The Music (ed) Matters Podcast possible: —Kaleidoscope Adventures - find your adventure today, kaleidoscopeadventures.com/. — The Kinnison Choral Company - check out their quality resources - or get your tracks made today - at KinnisonChoralCo.com. **Show music originally written by Mr. Todd Monsell**Show photography provided by Dr. Dan Biggerstaff

Dr. Bill Richards has been researching the therapeutic uses of psychedelic substances for 60 years and he believes there's a legitimate role for them in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and interpersonal withdrawal. He believes these substances behave in a novel way among psychiatric medications: it's the memory of an experience that's therapeutic and that you carry with you. You don't have to keep taking medication every day to have the effect. You experience something so profound, that it changes your whole concept of who you are. William Richards Ph.D.Research PsychologistCenter for Psychedelic and Consciousness ResearchJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, Md.author: Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences.Ira Byock, M.D., FAAHPMFounder/Senior Vice President for Strategic InnovationProvidence Institute for Human CaringMissoula, Mont.author: The Four Things That Matter Most and The Best Care Possible.JOIN US ONLINE ON JUNE 16thHUMANIZING HEALTHCARE EXPERT SERIESFor information on the June 16th online event, Remote Palliative Care: A telehealth roadmap to reaching rural communities, visit this link. Registration is now open.     

Dr. Ira Byock is a leading figure in hospice and palliative medicine, having developed many practices and tools that now define the specialty. For him, this profession is a continual pursuit of balancing the scientific and human aspects of medical care, to address patient well-being in a way that transcends conventional concepts of disease and illness. In this episode, Dr. Byock joins us to discuss how palliative medicine developed into what it is today, how viewing death as a normal part of human living can allow patients to create meaning at the end of life, and what all clinicians can learn from palliative care about good doctoring.In this episode, you will hear about: Dr. Byock's early work in family and rural medicine and the moral crisis that awakened him to the need for palliative medicine - 1:51Dr. Byock's experiences in pioneering the nascent field of palliative medicine - 7:53Combating the prevailing notion that medicine is only about treating injuries and curing illnesses - 11:16A story about a dying patient and the extra mile Dr. Byock went for her, which solidified his belief in the power of palliative care - 17:05Reimagining our relationship to death, both from the clinician's and patient's perspectives - 24:10The Four Things that Matter Most - 31:19Lessons learned from patients experiencing the end of their lives - 35:52Dr. Byock's advice to young medical professionals and students - 39:31Connect with Dr. Byock on Twitter @IraByock.Dr. Byock is the author of several books: Dying Well The Four Things that Matter MostThe Best Care PossibleVisit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our show, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you know of a doctor, patient, or anyone working in health care who would love to explore meaning in medicine with us on the show, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments or send an email to info@thedoctorsart.com.Copyright The Doctor's Art Podcast 2022

Jade describes herself as a spiritual midwife. She spent the first 20 years of her professional life building a consulting business. When her mother was diagnosed with cancer Jade redirected her timme and energy to support her mother. Following her mother's death Jade spent years grieving, healing and recalibratinng her life. She said goodbye to the Bay Area and goodbye to consulting. For the 20 years since then Jade has been deepening her spiritual practice and fine tuning herself as an instrument of healing in the death and dying process. Jade reminds us that healing is not a rush job. As she puts it “you cannot force the river.” In order to become an instrument of healing, Jade first had to let herself heal, and in order to let herself heal, she moved from the fast lane to the slower pace of the Big Island and asked the ocean to hold her grief. This conversation winds and circles back on itself many times, just like the process of grieving. Jade's Reading List & Resources:   AARP – Checklist for My Family: A Guide to My History, Financial Plans and Final Wishes; by Sally Balch Hurme, an Elder Law Attorney quoted frequently in NY Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNN, NPR, Kiplinger's Retirement Report. BJ MILLER, M.D. Ted Talks – What Really Matters at the End of Life https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&ei=UTF-8&p=ted+talks+youtube+bj+miller&type=E211US105G0#id=1&vid=68dfedc905fc29bab4f13e4ce08afdc0&action=click Ira Byock, nationally renown palliative care specialist, M.D. – The Four Things That Matter Most: A Book about Living https://irabyock.org/books/the-four-things-that-matter-most/ Atul Gawande, M.D. – Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End http://atulgawande.com/book/being-mortal/ Paul Kalanithi, M.D. – When Breath Becomes Air     https://www.amazon.com/When-Breath-Becomes-Paul-Kalanithi/dp/081298840X Katy Butler, award winning journalist - Knocking on Heaven's Door, The Art of Dying Well Joan Halifax, Founder and Director of Upaya Zen Center: Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion & Wisdom in the Presence of Death. https://www.upaya.org/being-with-dying/ https://www.upaya.org/dox/Being_Dying.pdf Frank Ostaseski, visionary co- founder of SF Zen Hospice, Metta Institute - Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully. This book is an evocative and relevant guide that points to a radical path for transforming the way we live. https://fiveinvitations.com/   the secret teacher hiding in plain sight, helping us Cathy Wurzer, founder of End in Mind: A movement that advocates to shift the fear-based cultural conversation about loss, death, dying, and provides curated resources to families and communities.  https://www.endinmindproject.org/resources/ If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a review in your podcast app. CancerTalks is a platform for anyone who has been touched by cancer. If you're moved to donate, please visit cancertalks.com/donate

Twenty percent of Americans live in a rural setting and full access to some medical care is limited: often requiring long drives or temporary relocations. That includes specialty palliative care -- the interdisciplinary services of physicians, nurses, social workers, and chaplains aimed at helping patients control symptoms of a serious illness.On today's podcast, we explore a demonstration project underway in rural Stevens County, Washington undertaken by the Palliative Practice Group at the Providence Institute for Human Caring.The in-person nursing and chaplaincy providers in two rural hospitals are being joined by physicians and social workers through a Tele-PC video connection or by phone, allowing patients to avoid 70-100 mile drives to seek consultations. And the Tele-PC connection allows far-flung family members to be involved in bedside conversations about the goals of care..JOIN US ONLINE ON JUNE 16thHUMANIZING HEALTHCARE EXPERT SERIESFor information on the June 16th online event, Remote Palliative Care: A telehealth roadmap to reaching rural communities, featuring a number of guests heard on this episode of the podcast, visit this link. Registration is now open. .Gregg VandeKieft, M.D., MA, FAAFP, FAAHPM Executive Medical Director, Palliative Practice Group and Tele-PCProvidence Institute for Human CaringOlympia, Wash..Kevin Murphy, M.D., MSW Executive Director, Palliative Practice GroupProvidence Institute for Human CaringSeattle, Wash..Adie Goldberg, Ph.D., LICSW Palliative Care Social WorkerSpokane, Wash..Amber Moody, RNPalliative Care NurseProvidence Mount Carmel HospitalColville, Wash.(LISTEN to extended conversation).Kelly CorcoranChief Mission OfficerProvidence Mount Carmel HospitalColville, Wash.(LISTEN to extended conversation).Matthew Gonzales, M.D., FAAHPM Associate Vice President, Chief Medical and Operations OfficerProvidence Institute for Human Caring.Ira Byock, M.D., FAAHPMFounder/Senior Vice President for Strategic InnovationProvidence Institute for Human Caring. .   

One aspect of the medical profession that doesn't often garner a great deal of public attention is that of caring for patients who are dying. For Dr. Mimi Dunne, the relief of suffering has been her life's calling — specifically the mission of relieving mental and social suffering in the lives of terminal patients, and helping them and their families find solace and meaning as they face mortality. This week, we ask Dr. Dunne to share insights and lessons from her experience in palliative care.In this episode, you will hear about: What palliative care entails and what kinds of physicians specialize in it- 02:06Dr. Dunne's path from emergency care to palliative medicine - 3:36Common misconceptions about palliative care - 7:43Stories of a pivotal patient case that illuminates Dr. Dunne's career - 11:33What it is like to accompany patients at their end of life - 15:59A discussion of Narrative Medicine and storytelling - 23:44A discussion of the Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware - 29:29Works, Organizations, and Individuals Discussed:The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative MedicineThe Center to Advance Palliative CareDr. Diane Meier, professor of Geriatrics and Palliative MedicineBill Moyer's PBS docu-series Healing in the MindDr. Laura Carstensen of the Stanford Center on LongevityDr. Ira Byock's work on Developmental Tasks of the End of LifeNarrative Medicine: Honoring the Stories of Illness by Dr. Rita CharonProfessor Dan McAdams' work on Narrative IdentityThe Top Five Regrets of the Dyingby Bronnie WareVisit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our show, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you know of a doctor, patient, or anyone working in health care who would love to explore meaning in medicine with us on the show, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments or send an email to info@thedoctorsart.com.Copyright The Doctor's Art Podcast 2022

Daniela Lamas, M.D., is a critical care physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and a faculty member at the Harvard Medical School. She's also a frequent opinion writer for The New York Times. The paper published her piece, "When Faced With Death, People Often Change Their Minds," earlier this year.    "We need to shift the focus from talking to healthy people about what would happen should they stop breathing during a routine procedure, and toward improving conversations with people who are already seriously ill," Dr. Lamas wrote. Her op-ed piece comes on the heels of an essay the Journal of the American Medical Association published a few months earlier, "What's Wrong With Advance Care Planning?" by Drs. Sean Morrison, Diane Meier, and Robert Arnold, which argues that advance care planning has failed to accomplish its goals of aligning care and improving communication at the bedside. Joining Dr. Lamas in conversation is Ira Byock, M.D., a palliative physician, author, longtime advocate for advance care planning, and the founder of the Providence Institute for Human Caring, where this podcast is produced.  Dr. Byock holds that while there's dire need to redesign advance directives, providers should talk with patients about who they trust to speak for them and their general healthcare goals — optimally long before onset of a medical crisis. .  *******************.The podcast producers are interested in hearing from providers with questions or suggestions for an upcoming webinar on BEST PRACTICES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA USE FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS. Have a story to share with us? Have suggestions? Write to us at HearMeNowStories@providence.org or leave a voicemail message on +1 424-212-5436. And thanks! 

Presenting three books with good lessons learned from the dying on how to live (and die) well: The Top Five Regrets of the Dying - Bronnie Ware The Four Things That Matter Most - Ira Byock When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi Related links:   Bronnie Ware's blog post that started it all: https://bronnieware.com/blog/regrets-of-the-dying/   Link to Ira Byock's book page: https://irabyock.org/books/the-four-things-that-matter-most/   Lucy Kalanithi speaks at TEDMED https://www.ted.com/talks/lucy_kalanithi_what_makes_life_worth_living_in_the_face_of_death

.PERSONALIZING CARE IN A TRANSACTIONAL WORLDexcerpts from the online conference held 1 November 2021and sponsored by the Providence Institute for Human Caring.You can watch the videos of each online session here..CONFERENCE AGENDA.KEYNOTE: Three Keys to Personalizing Healthcare Dr. Ira Byock, Institute for Human Caring.Why Serious Illness is a Serious Health-Equity Issue Dr. Tammie Quest, EmoryDr. Glen Komatsu, TrinityCare HospiceDr. Karen Boudreau,  ProvidenceMichael Drummond, Institute for Human Caring.Medicine Meets Ministry - Engaging Faith Communities to Fill Unmet Needs Seán Collins, Hear Me Now PodcastRev. Cynthia Carter Perrilliat, Alameda County Care AllianceJeannie Blaustein, ReImagine End of LifeJohnny Cox, Alliance of Catholic Health Care.Let's Get Digital, Digital - Humanizing the EHR Sara Veazy, ProvidenceDr. Matt Gonzales, Institute for Human CaringGregory Makoul, PatientWisdomMike Drummond, Institute for Human Caring.From Scratch - Discovering the Healing Powers of Food, Family and Community Tembi Locke & Dr. Ira Byock.Whole Person Care in the ICU Dr. Wes Ely, VanderbiltDr. Daniela Lamas, Brigham and Women's HospitalLiga Mezaraups, Providence.Age-Friendly Works at Providence and Beyond Amy Berman, John  A. Hartford FoundationYazmin Hehdi, Patient RepresentativeDr. Carrie Rubenstein, Swedish Family MedicineMike Drummond, Institute for Human Caring.Closing RemarksDrs. Ira Byock and Matt Gonzales, Institute for Human Caring  

Trained as an emergency physician, Dr. Byock has been involved with hospice and palliative care since the 1970s. He is a past president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine He led the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Promoting Excellence in End of Life Care program and the Missoula Demonstration Project. He directs the Center for Human Caring. and served as director for Promoting Excellence in End-of-Life Care, a national grant program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Dr. Ira Byock, Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, joins Wesley J. Smith on Humanize. Dr. Byock is a leading palliative care physician, author, and public advocate for improving care through the end of life. Dr. Byock is an acknowledged visionary and pioneer in palliative care who has made important contributions as a clinician, author and Read More ›

In this episode, Jeffrey & Kelly talk about the important opportunities that are present when we know the loss of someone we love is inevitable. We are invited to care for our loved one and ourselves with compassion during terminal illness and throughout the dying process itself. We can use healing mantras to provide solace and support. Learn about Dr. Ira Byock's work and the Hawaiian healing prayer, Hoʻoponopono -- and how focusing on what matters most can ease our suffering in times of grief and loss.

We explore the poetics of medicine and the medicine in poetry with poet-physician Patrick Clary, M.D.; Redwing Keyssar, RN; and Ira Byock, M.D. "Poetry holds a mirror up to us. It helps us understand what has just happened," says Clary.

If you've ever lost someone, or watched a medical drama in the last 15 years, you've probably heard of The Five Stages of Grief. They're sort of the world's worst consolation prize for loss. But last year, we began wondering… Where did these stages come from in the first place? Turns out, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. But the story is much, much more complicated than that. Those stages of grieving? They actually started as stages of dying. After learning that, producer Rachael Cusick tumbled into a year-long journey through the life and work of the incredibly complicated and misunderstood woman who single-handedly changed the way all of us face dying, and the way we deal with being left behind. Special Note: Our friends over at Death Sex and Money have put together a very special companion to this story, featuring Rachael talking about this story with her grandmother.  Check it out here. This episode was reported and produced by Rachael Cusick, with production help from Carin Leong. This story wouldn't have been possible without the folks you heard from in the episode, and the many, many people who touched this story, including: Anne Adams, Andrew Aronson, Audrey Gordon, Barbara Hogenson, Basit Qari, Bill Weese, Bob McGan, Carey Gauzens, Clifford Edwards, Cristina McGinniss, Dorothy Holinger, Frank Ostaseski, Ira Byock, Jamie Munson, Jessica Weisberg, Jillian Tullis, Joanna Treichler, Jonathan Green, Ken Bridbord, Ladybird Morgan, Laurel Braitman, Lawrence Lincoln, Leah Siegel, Liese Groot, Linda Mount, Lyn Frumpkin, Mark Kuczewski, Martha Twaddle, Rosalie Roder, Sala Hilaire, Stefan Haupt, Stephanie Riley, Stephen Connor, and Tracie Hunte. Special thanks to all the folks who shared music for this episode, including: Lisa Stoll, who shared her Alpine horn music with us for this episode. You can hear more of her music here. Cliff Edwards, who shared original music from Deanna Edwards. The Martin Hayes Quartet, who shared the last bit of music you hear in the piece that somehow puts a world of emotion into one beautiful tune. And an extra special thank you to the folks over at Stanford University - Ben Stone, David Magnus, Karl Lorenz, Maren Monsen -  the caretakers of Elisabeth's archival collection who made it possible to rummage through their library from halfway across the country. You can read more about the collection here. Support Radiolab by becoming a member today at Radiolab.org/donate.  

We explore the poetry of medicine by offering two conversations. In the first, Dr. Ira Byock talks with Dr. Patrick Clary about his poetry, why he writes it, how he uses it, and why it matters."I don't see it as a medical practice so much as a humane practice for us as we do medicine; to maintain our way of looking at our patients as people."    —Dr. Patrick Clary in conversation with Dr. Ira Byock..Then host Seán Collins talks with palliative care clinician Redwing Keysaar about the poetry workshops she's been hosting online during the pandemic. What began as a way for people to process their grief has become a way to get in touch with un-tapped creativity and strengths."We forget so many of the healing modalities that are with us all the time and that have been part of the various cultures that many of us come from. Dr. Rachel Remen says, "We may have lost faith in our ability to write poems just as we have lost faith in our ability to heal. Recovering the poet strengthens the healer and sets free the unique song that's at the heart of each life."   —Redwing Keysaar, RN in conversation with Seán Collins..Patrick L Clary, M.D.  has long used poetry as a tool in his effort to understand, practice, and teach medicine. His work has appeared in anthologies and in two collections, Notes for a Loveletter and Dying for Beginners. A conscientious objector on the basis of Quaker beliefs, he served as a medic with US Infantry Units in Vietnam 1969-70. He is past President of the New Hampshire Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and remains clinically active in end-of-life care as medical director of a community hospice house...Ira Byock, M.D., FAAHPM, is a leading medical authority and public advocate for improving care through the end of life. He is founder and serves as chief medical officer of the Providence Institute for Human Caring. The Institute drives transformation in clinical systems and culture to make caring for whole persons the new normal. The Institute for Human Caring's change strategies produce measurable and scalable improvements in healthcare quality and efficiency. Dr. Byock's books include The Best Care Possible  and The Four Things That Matter Most...Redwing Keysaar, RN is a palliative care clinician, author, poet, educator, national presenter, and frequent contributor to the public conversation about palliative and end-of-life care. Redwing is currently the director of Patient and Caregiver Education at the MERI Center for Education in Palliative Care (Making Education Relevant and Integrated) for Primary Palliative Care Education  at the Mt. Zion Campus of the University of California, San Francisco. She is the author of The Last Acts of Kindness. 

Bright Spot #17 Ira Byock, MD A Vision for Transforming Care

I am thrilled and privileged to introduce today’s guest, Dr. Ira Byock. Ira is a leading palliative care physician, author, and public advocate for improving care through the end of life. He’s been involved in hospice and palliative care since 1978, and over the years has received too many awards and honors for me to name here. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed academic articles on the ethics and practice of care, and he’s the author of three award-winning books. In this interview, I draw on Ira’s first book, Dying Well, which has become a standard in the field of hospice and palliative care.

From 2004 - Dr. Ira Byock, author of "The Four Things That Matter Most: A Book About Living."

Dr. Ira Byock, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Providence Institute for Human Caring, discusses a new vision for advance care planning that simply asks individuals to name a trusted decision- maker to speak for them in the event they're not able to speak for themselves. This choice is then entered into the electronic health record by a care provider. Joining Dr. Byock are Edo Banach, President and CEO of the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization, and Nathan Kottkamp, founder of the National Healthcare decisions Day.

COVID-19 has changed the way we live and the way we die. The pandemic has changed interactions at the bedside, our rituals of mourning, and how we process loss. Hear Me Now Podcast presents “Grief in the time of COVID,” featuring Dr. Ira Byock, founder and chief medical officer at Providence's Institute for Human Caring, and Rev. Denise Hess, executive director of the Supportive Care Coalition.

Learn about new research using psychedelic medications to help patients at the end of life with depression and anxiety. My guest Dr. Ira Byock is a leading palliative care physician, author and public advocate for improving care through the end of life. In this discussion he shares important information about psychedelic medications and the benefits… Continue reading Ep. 273 The Benefits of Psychedelics for End-of-Life Patients with Ira Byock MD

November is National Hospice Awareness Month. What does Hospice Volunteers of Hancock County do? What programs are offered to help caregivers and those who are coping with the loss of a loved one? These questions and more are answered in this heartfelt discussion with Jody Wolford-Tucker, Executive Director of this 40 year old organization. Hospice Volunteers of Hancock County website: https://www.hospiceofhancock.org/ Hospice Volunteers of Hancock County phone number: 667-2531 Anne West's email address: ihwf1966@gmail.com Anne West's phone number: 207-367-5851 Jody's book recommendations: At Peace Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life by Sam Harrington (DIS local!) https://www.amazon.com/At-Peace-Choosing-Death-After/dp/1478917415/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=At+Peace+book+sam+harrington&qid=1603231061&sr=8-1 The Four Things That Matter Most by Dr. Ira Byock https://www.amazon.com/Four-Things-That-Matter-Most/dp/1476748535/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Four+Things+that+matter+most&qid=1603231117&sr=8-1 Peace at Last and other works by Deborah Grassman https://www.amazon.com/Peace-Last-Stories-Veterans-Families/dp/0918339723 The Art of Comforting by Val Walker https://www.amazon.com/Art-Comforting-What-People-Distress/dp/1585428280

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or other mental health issues and would like to seek help, please check out the Work@BeWell website for a list of qualified organizations. Send us an email and share your COVID Winter strategies with us to help us plan our next episode.  Read Dr. Ira Byock's article Heroism and Hypocrisy: Seeing Our Reflection with 2020 Vision in The Journal of Palliative Medicine.   GuestsRobin Henderson, Psy. D. is a clinical psychologist in Portland, OR, and the Chief Executive for Behavioral Health for Providence Oregon and the Clinical Liaison to the Well Being Trust.Ira Byock, M.D., is a leading palliative care physician and the Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Providence Institute for Human Caring in Gardena, CA.  About UsAt the Institute for Human Caring, we believe that whole-person care is essential to helping patients, families, and caregivers experience the best care possible. This requires attending to the body, mind, and spirit.  Learn more about our Hear Me Now storytelling and listing initiative. Contact us at HumanCaring@providence.org

Dr. Ira Byock, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Providence Institute for Human Caring, discusses a new vision for advance care planning that simply asks individuals to name a trusted decision-maker to speak for them in the event they’re not able to speak for themselves. This choice is then entered into the electronic health record by a care provider. Joining Dr. Byock are Edo Banach, President and CEO of the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization, and Nathan Kottkamp, founder of the National Healthcare Decisions Day.

To continue this new series, Edo sits down with Ira Byock, MD, FAAHPM, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Institute for Human Caring. They discuss why service in leadership is so important and qualities to look for in new hires. Hear their thoughts on why historically hospice hasn't always gotten an equal seat at the table.

Episode 26: Eye KnowThe sun rises over the San Joaquin Valley California. Today is September 4, 2020.It should be not surprise to us that evidence shows the use of marijuana during pregnancy affects the development of the nervous system of the fetus. More than 500,000 live births were analyzed retrospectively from the Canadian birth registry and it showed incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was higher in children born from mothers who used marijuana during pregnancy compared with non-exposed children (4 versus 2.4 diagnoses per 1000 person-years). Incidence of intellectual disability and learning disorders was also higher in marijuana-exposed children. So, remember to counsel your pregnant patients to avoid marijuana[1].Do you think that patients with obesity have a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal pain? You think? And what’s a common prescription for chronic pain? Yes, you guessed it, it’s opioids. So, you think obesity and opioids are linked? Articles published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM) [2] and Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA)[3] showed a clear link between obesity and opioid use. Patients who are overweight have 24% incidence of long term opioid use, while the incidence in patients with severe obesity was 158%. Again, incidence is 24% in overweight vs 158% in severe obesity. That’s crazy, the most common chronic pain associated with obesity and opioid use was back pain and joint pain. Now you know it, two of the most popular epidemics, obesity and opioids, go hand in hand.    This is Rio Bravo qWeek, your weekly dose of knowledge brought to you by the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program, from Bakersfield, California. Sponsored by Clinica Sierra Vista, Providing compassionate and affordable care since 1971.“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continuethat counts.” –Winston S. ChurchillSuccess is such a complex term! Success for you may be different than success for me. Success is not final, just as failure is not fatal. Our life has ups and downs and that’s what makes it interesting. I’d like to thank all our listeners for their support in our mission to educate, and sometimes to entertain you. It has not been easy to produce this podcast. Thanks to all the brave residents who have overcome their fears to record in front of a microphone. This week we have reached some milestones. We had our download number 1,000, and today the last resident of the 2019-2020 group is participating in the main part of the podcast. I was planning to end this season, but I’m happy to inform that some people offered to record more, so we may have an additional episode, before closing this season. I’m planning to change our format after hearing some suggestions from our residents.I’m pleased to present to you Dr Garmendia today. He is here to share some of his wisdom with us. Dr Garmendia, we are closing this season of the podcast with you. So you are the cherry on the cake, no pressure. So, let’s relax and have fun.  Question number 1: Who are you? My name is Fermin Garmendia, I am a third-year resident of the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program. I was born and raised in Cuba where I went to medical school. I came to the US in 2010 and, after several years and some sacrifice, my dream came true. For me, being a family medicine doctor is a privilege. It is diverse and challenging. I have some hobbies, I like watch movies, eat in a good restaurant, passing time with friends but what I enjoys the most it is travel by car, so far yet a short family, my wife, our dog and me. We like to explore and be in several places and California is the opportunity, it is beautiful. I still have a big list of places to visit. Question number 2: What did you learn this week? This week I saw a patient with a subconjunctival hemorrhage. I can picture the face of some colleagues... it is nothing weird or maybe not the most interesting topic, but for some patients (and even for many doctors) this could be frightening. Patients get desperate when they realized the problem, and often those who see someone with subconjunctival hemorrhage may think this is caused by physical trauma. It is common, I have seen many patients with subconjunctival hemorrhages and almost always the treatment is reassuring him or her that it will gradually resolve on its own in few weeks, no need for any treatment, except for some artificial tears for symptomatic relief. We should explain our patients why this event could have happened. This is the interesting topic that I would like to talk about.Subconjunctival hemorrhage Patients are generally asymptomatic. Typically, the patient is unaware of the problem until they look in the mirror or someone else lets them know.A red, bloody eye can look scary, but it is usually harmless and often heal on its own.Causes of subconjunctival hemorrhageThe eye’s conjunctiva contains a lot of tiny blood vessels that can break easily. Rupture of capillaries may happen spontaneously or with Valsalva effect caused by coughing, sneezing, straining, or vomiting (this is because they briefly raise blood pressure in veins and can cause capillaries to break) and trauma, even rubbing your eyes too hard can cause capillaries to break. Less common causes include: Diabetes, HTN, COPD that makes patient cough often; medications that can make you bleed easily such as aspirin or blood thinners like coumadin. Diagnosis of subconjunctival hemorrhageThe diagnosis is confirmed by having a normal vision and the absence of discharge, photophobia, or foreign body sensation.The blood is typically reabsorbed over one to two weeks, depending on the amount of blood. Treatment of subconjunctival hemorrhageNo specific therapy is indicated, but If subconjunctival hemorrhage is recurrent or if the patient has a history of bleeding disorder or blood dyscrasia, or if the patient is on anticoagulant therapy, then an underlying hematologic or coagulation abnormality must be considered.I recommend that we should examine the patient always with a slit lamp or magnifying glass, and stain the eye with fluorescein if you suspect trauma to see any associated corneal injury, such as a corneal laceration or abrasion, or other structures of the eye, especially in patients who wear contact lens.Referral to OphthalmologyAn ophthalmologist should be consulted for the following patients: Suspicion of a leaking eye or intraorbital penetrationSigns of traumatic hyphemaConjunctival lacerations >1 cm in length that will require suturingForeign bodies that are deeply embedded, subconjunctival, or associated with a conjunctival laceration____________________________Speaking Medical: Amaurosis fugax by Xeng Xai Xiong, MS3The medical term for the day is amaurosis fugax. I don’t know about you, but for me this word sounds like a mystifying spell that can wake up the dead.  Amaurosis fugax [Suspense sound effect] comes from the Greek "amaurosis," which means dark, and the Latin "fugax," which means transient. Therefore, it refers to a transient loss of vision in one or both eyes.  Aww, I thought this word would have a deeper meaning.  I first encounter this word, during my internal medicine rotation when a patient presented with weakness on one side of the body, facial drooping, and a transient loss of vision, aka amaurosis fugax. One of the causes of amaurosis fugax is a thromboembolism that blocks the ophthalmic artery and retinal arterioles which results in transient loss of vision.  This symptom can be seen in a patient with stroke. Until next time, remember the word amaurosis fugax [Suspense sound effect].  _______________________________________Speaking Medical: Anisocoriaby Li Liang, MS3Hello, I’m Li, a 3rd-year medical student, and I want to introduce another medical word of the week, Anisocoria.  I will give you a brief introduction of anisocoria and soon I will expand on this topic. We have three levels of definition depending on how hungry your brain is. First level, anisocoria is when a patient has unequal pupils. The second level of defining anisocoria is by explaining the etymology of the word. Anisocoria comes from the Greek “An”: Not, “iso”: equal, “cor”: Pupil of the eye, and the Latin: “ia”: Disease, pathology or abnormal condition.  Our last level as well as the medical definition of anisocoria is defined as an impaired pupillary dilation (parasympathetic nervous system) or constriction (sympathetic nervous system). There is more than meets the eye, and finding which pupil is the abnormal one may be challenging. What can give you clues is history of ocular trauma, old photos (ptosis, ocular deviation, chronic anisocoria), topical medications, drug/toxin exposures, associated ocular and neurological signs and symptoms. I will teach you how to tell which eye and pupil is abnormal. There are some physical evaluations to differentiate which eye is considered the bad eye because it’s not always the “small eye”. Stay tuned to learn more about anisocoria on your next episode.____________________________Espanish Por Favor: Matrizby Claudia CarranzaHi this is Dr Carranza on our section Espanish Por Favor. This week’s word is matriz. Matriz comes from the Latin word “matrix” which means mother and is used to describe a cavity inside females in which babies are carried. Yes, matriz means UTERUS! You will most likely use this term when you want to ask if the patient has their uterus vs if they’ve had a hysterectomy. You can say “Señora, ¿todavía tiene su matriz?” which means: “ma’am, do you still have your uterus?”. Another instance in which you may hear the word matriz is when asking about uterine cancer, you can ask “¿Ha tenido cáncer de matriz?” “Have you hade uterine cancer?” Instead of matriz, you can also use the more formal term útero but most people will understand you better when you say matriz.Now you know the Espanish word of the week, matriz.____________________________For your Sanity: What is civilization?by Lisa ManzanaresSomeone once asked anthropologist Margaret Mead what she considered to be the first evidence of civilization. She answered: a human thigh bone with a healed fracture found in an archaeological site 15,000 years old. Why not tools for hunting? or religious artifacts? or primitive forms of communal self-governance? Mead points out that, for a person to survive a broken femur, the individual had to have been cared for long enough for that bone to heal. Others must have provided shelter, protection, food and drink over an extended period of time for this kind of healing to be possible. The great anthropologist Margaret Mead suggests that the first indication of human civilization is care over time for one who is broken and in need, evidenced through a fractured thigh bone that was healed.This story was told by Ira Byock, an authority on palliative medicine, in his book The Best Care Possible: A Physician’s Quest to Transform Care Through the End of Life.________________Jokes: A nurse is on her way home, pulls out a thermometer out of her pocket and says, “Great, now some a**hole got my pen.”How many optometrists does it take to change a light bulb? 1 or 2, 1 or 2, 1 or 2.Conclusion: Now we conclude our episode number 26 “Eye Know.” Dr Garmendia briefly explained the diagnosis and treatment for subconjunctival hemorrhage, you may say “I know”, but you for sure you learned something new today. Xeng surprised us with his clear explanation of amaurosis fugax, or sudden loss of vision, and Li explained how to say unequal pupils in an educated way, anisocoria. And without warning we went from the eye to the uterus and Dr Carranza taught us the Spanish word Matriz. How did you like our reflection about human civilization? And to close, Dr Saito gave us a piece of humor to please our audience.Thanks for listening to Rio Bravo qWeek. If you have any feedback about this podcast, contact us by email RBresidency@clinicasierravista.org, or visit our website riobravofmrp.org/qweek. This podcast was created with educational purposes only. Visit your primary care physician for additional medical advice. This week we thank Hector Arreaza, Fermin Garmendia, Claudia Carranza, and Xeng Xai Xiong, Li Liang, Lisa Manzanares, and Steven Saito. Audio edition: Suraj Amrutia. See you next week! _____________________References:Jansson, Lauren M, MD, Infants of mothers with substance use disorder, UpToDate, https://www.uptodate.com/contents/infants-of-mothers-with-substance-use-disorder?sectionName=Marijuana&topicRef=8350&anchor=H19&source=see_link&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWXpFNFpURmhNVEE0WkdFdyIsInQiOiJ3ZDhUcTI5XC9BZFhGSzhtZXdkSnRCcVNXM0lGZXJHM1ZMNzdNSExHZ3BFeFRvdjJ3Ymc5cmtha2xvMVppKzhmRzJOMEluMHhKYUdxUldtVURmdmR3WWcyZXFZcm1ycjNxK2ErdGlIeUl5ZlgrU09adFwvOTJqbDQzUm9uak9tTzFRIn0%3D#H19, last updated: Aug 20, 2020.Stokes, Andrew, PhD, et al, Association of Obesity with Prescription Opioids for Painful Conditions in Patients Seeking Primary Care in the US, JAMA Network Open. 2020;3(4):e202012. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.2012, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2763785, accessed on September, 2, 2020.Stokes, Andrew, PhD, Obesity and Incident Prescription Opioid Use in the U.S., 2000–2015, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Published: March 27, 2020, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2019.12.018AMA Recognizes Obesity as a Disease, The New York Times, July 18, 2013. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/19/business/ama-recognizes-obesity-as-a-disease.htmlA 15,000 year old bone and the Fall 2013 issue of Reflectionshttps://divinity.yale.edu/news/15000-year-old-bone-and-fall-2013-issue-reflectionsBoyd, Kierstan, Subconjunctival Hemorrhage, American Academy of Ophthalmology, April, 23, 2020. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/subconjunctival-hemorrhage-causeGardiner, Matthew F, MD, Conjunctival Injury, UpToDate, Last updated: Sep 27, 2019. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/conjunctival-injury

COVID-19 has changed the way we live and the way we die. The pandemic has changed interactions at the bedside, our rituals of mourning, and how we process loss. Hear Me Now Podcast presents “Grief in the time of COVID,” featuring Dr. Ira Byock, founder and chief medical officer at Providence’s Institute for Human Caring, and Rev. Denise Hess, executive director of the Supportive Care Coalition.

Ira Byock, M.D., FAAHPM, Founder/Chief Medical Officer of the Institute for Human Caring in California talks about how supervised use of psychedelics can alleviate depression and suffering associated with terminal illness.

Dr Zieve talks with Ira Byock, MD about end-of-life and palliative care, focusing on strategies for emotional care for both the dying and those left behind. Ira Byock MD is the Director of Palliative Medicine at DartmouthñHitchcock Medical Center, Chair of Palliative Medicine and Professor in the Departments of Anesthesiology, and Community and Family Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School. His books Dying Well (1997) and The Four Things That Matter Most (2004) are used extensively in the counseling of patients and families dealing with advanced illness. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Guest host, Laurie Kelley, Chief Philanthropy Officer and Group Vice President at Providence, talks with Dr. Ira Byock, M.D., FAAHPM, from the Institute of Human Caring about National Decision Day, which was on May 1, and why it's more important than ever to have an advance directive in place.

The assisted suicide movement is, if anything, indefatigable. Not only is it undeterred by its failures, but it is now more energized than any other time in recent years. By the end of March of 2015, bills were introduced in twenty-five state legislatures to legalize assisted suicide. Defining the Subject Many people remain confused about the exact nature of assisted suicide advocacy, sometimes confusing it with other medical issues involving end-of-life care. Thus, to fully understand the subject, we must distinguish between ethical choices at the end of life that may lead to death and the poison of euthanasia/assisted suicide. 1.      Refusing unwanted medical treatment is not assisted suicide: Fear of being “hooked up to machines” when one wishes to die at home has traditionally been a driving force behind the assisted suicide movement. But we all have the right to refuse medical interventions—even if the choice is likely to lead to death. Thus, a cancer patient can reject chemotherapy and a patient dying of Lou Gehrig’s disease can say no to a respirator.  Indeed, in 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the right to refuse medical treatment is completely different from assisted suicide.[9] 2.      Assisted suicide/euthanasia is not the same as a medical treatment for pain control: Because pain control may require strong drugs, which can cause death, assisted suicide advocates often claim that palliation and euthanasia are ethically the same under the “principle of double effect.” But this is all wrong: Any legitimate medical treatment can unintentionally lead to death, including pain alleviation. In assisted suicide death is the intended effect. We would never say that a patient who died during open-heart surgery was euthanized. Similarly, a patient who dies from the unintended side effects of pain control has not been assisted in suicide or euthanized. Pain control experts state that aggressive pain control generally does not shorten life. 3.      Assisted suicide/euthanasia is antithetical to hospice: Hospice was founded by the great medical humanitarian Dame Cicely Saunders in the late 1960s as a reform movement to bring the care of the dying out of isolated hospitals and into patients’ homes or non-institutional local care facilities. Its purpose is to provide dying people with proper treatment of pain and other disturbing symptoms as well as to render spiritual, psychological, and social support toward the end that life be lived as fully as possible until natural death. In contrast, assisted suicide is about rushing death, making it happen sooner rather than later through lethal actions. Or to put it another way: Hospice is about living. Assisted suicide/euthanasia is about dying. As the noted palliative care expert and assisted suicide opponent Dr. Ira Byock has written, “There’s a distinction between alleviating suffering and eliminating the sufferer — between enabling someone to die gently of their disease and ending that person’s life with a lethal pill or injection.” 4.      Assisted suicide/euthanasia are acts that intentionally end life: In contrast to the above, the intended purpose of assisted suicide and euthanasia is to end life, e.g., to kill. In assisted suicide, the last act causing death is taken by the person who dies, for example, ingesting a lethal prescription of barbiturates. In euthanasia, the death is a homicide, an act of killing taken by a third person, such as a doctor injecting a patient with poisonous drugs. From an Investigators Standpoint  Read More HERE

#009 - Join host Dr. Red Hoffman as she interviews Dr. Ira Byock, nationally known author and speaker and the founder and chief medical officer of the Institute for Human Caring at Providence St. Joseph in Southern California.  Ira served as the president of the American Association of Hospice and Palliative Medicine as well as the Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Promoting Excellence in End of Life Care, under which the Surgeons Palliative Care task force (now the Committee on Surgical Palliative Care) was created within the American College of Surgeons.  For those interested in the history of surgical palliative care, Ira is also known as the man who introduced surgeons Dr. Robert Milch to Dr. Geoffrey Dunn (both men went on to become leaders in the field of surgical palliative care).  Ira shares that seeing how poorly patients at the end of life were treated in his training hospital led him to develop a hospice program while still a resident physician.  He discusses that illness is fundamentally a personal issue (rather than a medical issue) and that by acknowledging this, surgeons can do their part in making certain that patients get the best care possible.  He is thoughtful, inspiring, generous with both his time and his experience, and a pure joy to talk to!Learn more about Ira here.Ira's books include:The Best Care Possible: A Physician's Quest to Transform Care Through the End of Life Dying Well: Peace and Possibilities at the End of LifeThe Four Things that Matter MostLearn more about the Surgeons Palliative Care Workgroup here (includes PDFs of over two dozen articles written about surgical palliative care and published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.)To learn more about the surgical palliative care community, visit us on twitter @surgpallcare

Dr. Ira Byock, physician, author, patient advocate and Founder of the Institute for Human Caring at Providence St. Joseph Health, recounts why "This Pandemic is Personal," and a "Crash Course in Being Mortal." This is a MUST listen!

Join us today as we speak with Dr. Ira Byock, CMO for the Institute for Human Caring at Providence St. Joseph Health, about care advocacy innovation.

When someone we love passes away, it can cause us to examine our own lives: How can we live our lives better? How can we be ready when our own time comes? Our guest today offers simple, yet profound advice for how to live better: Live like you're dying. As a palliative care physician, he observed that patients with terminal illness who embrace four specific tasks tend to be more at peace. It turns out that these tasks—which he calls “The Four Things That Matter Most”—apply equally well at almost any stage of life, and can potentially help all of us to live more meaningful, loving, and vibrant existences. Host David B. Feldman interviews Dr. Ira Byock, author of The Four Things That Matter Most: A Book about Living. The post 11/18/19 Living and Dying Well appeared first on KPFA.

When someone we love passes away, it can cause us to examine our own lives: How can we live our lives better? How can we be ready when our own time comes? Our guest today offers simple, yet profound advice for how to live better: Live like you're dying. As a palliative care physician, he observed that patients with terminal illness who embrace four specific tasks tend to be more at peace. It turns out that these tasks—which he calls “The Four Things That Matter Most”—apply equally well at almost any stage of life, and can potentially help all of us to live more meaningful, loving, and vibrant existences. Host David B. Feldman interviews Dr. Ira Byock, author of The Four Things That Matter Most: A Book about Living. The post 8/26/19 Living and Dying Well appeared first on KPFA.

In this week's podcast, we talk with Dr. Ira Byock, a leading palliative care physician, author, and public advocate for improving care through the end of life. Ira Byock wrote a provocative and compelling paper in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management titled, "Taking Psychedelics Seriously." In this podcast we challenge Ira Byock about the use of psychedelics for patients with serious and life-limiting illness. Guest host Josh Biddle (UCSF Palliative care fellow) asks, "Should clinicians who prescribe psychedelics try them first to understand what their patient's are going through?" The answer is "yes" -- read or listen on for more!

She's a four-time Olympic gold medalist and the greatest female distance swimmer of all time, and at the age of 40 and with two small kids, Janet Evans staged an Olympic comeback. She explains why she felt ready to compete again, even against swimmers half her age.

Our guests on this episode are Dr. Ira Byock and Dr. Kevin Murphy of the Institute for Human Caring of Providence St. Joseph Health. In this chat, Ira and Kevin discuss bringing uniformity to all palliative care programs at this 50 hospital health system serving communities across 7 states. The interview, which took place at the 2017 CAPC National Seminar, touches upon several key topics such as making the business case for palliative care, the importance of educating all clinicians in palliative care skills, and creating a health system culture that stays true to its core values.

Listen NowEarlier this year St. Martin's Press published Dr. Haider Warraich's Modern Death, How Medicine Changed the End of Life. As the dust jacket notes, "the mechanics and understanding" of dying, "the whys, wheres, whens and hows are almost nothing like what they were mere decades ago."  Today, eight in ten Americans die at an advanced age, or under Medicare, die in a medical setting after suffering for some while from a chronic, eventually fatal disease or diseases.  If lucky, how Americans die will have been determined, or at least informed, by an advanced directive or like document.        During this 27 minute conversation Dr. Warraich discusses what characterizes "modern death,"  how the 1970s Karen Ann Quinlan case redefined death or dying, the role family caregivers play and the unintended consequences for them in providing a family member care, the limitations of advanced directives and living wills, euthanasia, physician assisted suicide and terminal or palliative sedation and whether "how medicine changed the end of life" has made "modern death" comparatively better. Dr. Haider Javed Warraich is currently fellow in cardiology at Duke University Medical Center.  He was graduate from medical school in Pakistan in 2009 and did his residency in internal medicine at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School   He is a regular opinion page contributor to The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, the LA Times and has contributed to several academic publications such as The New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, Lancet and Circulation.  During the interview mention is made of a November 28, 2016 Fresh Air (NPR) interview titled, "The Debate Across the Nation Over Death With Dignity Laws," that featured Dr. Warraich along with Dr. Ira Byock.  The interview is at: https://dianerehm.org/shows/2016-11-28/aid-in-dying.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thehealthcarepolicypodcast.com

Date: January 26, 2012 Featuring: Ellen Goodman, Columnist, Author, founding member of The Conversation Project Ira Byock, MD, Professor, Dartmouth Medical School; Director of Palliative Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Bernard “Bud” Hammes, PhD, Director, Medical Humanities and Respecting Choices®, Gundersen Health System Martha Hayward, Lead for Public and Patient Engagement, Institute for Healthcare Improvement Most of us, if asked, say we care a great deal about will happen to us when we’re at the end of our lives. And yet, because we’d also rather focus on just about anything but death and dying, especially if we’re young and healthy or aging well, we’re all vulnerable to what can transpire by default: spending our last few days in an ICU, even if that’s at odds with our needs and preferences. The reasons for this disconnect are complex but often stem from the fact that individual and family decisions come late, are hashed out during a crisis, and in the very setting — a hospital — that promises high-tech and high-intervention cures for just about everything.  This scenario is slowly starting to change. There are now numerous efforts, some medically-based and many more that are grassroots, successfully promoting alternative perspectives and practices so that people who’d prefer to die at home can do so, and benefit from pain management and comfort over costly and heroic measures. But when you get right down to it, “dying well” is quite personal and, as such, needs to start in a personal place: by having a conversation with the people you’re closest to about how you want to die and how they, surviving friends and family members, can feel okay carrying out your wishes. Equally important: initiating or being open to that conversation, perhaps several conversations, when the circumstances aren’t so fraught and there’s time to digest and reflect and integrate the information.  All of this and more are what’s behind a new initiative getting underway in 2012 called The Conversation Project (TCP), which will be discussed on the January 26 WIHI. In collaboration with IHI, award-winning columnist and founding member Ellen Goodman and the project’s team members seek to create a cultural movement with one basic goal: to help every American say what they want at the end of life so that family members and medical providers have the guidance they need to respect those preferences. To get there, TCP wants to normalize discussions that can at times feel “too big to broach” by encouraging loved ones to talk to one another when circumstances aren’t so charged — when everyone is healthy — and the environment is more conducive to a good exchange. Around the kitchen table, for instance, rather than the hospital bed.   To launch a national campaign to bring about this change, Ellen Goodman and members of TCP have turned to many, many experts on death and dying, palliative care, and successful partnerships with patients and families, including two outspoken champions of change on the clinical and community side: Dartmouth’s Ira Byock and Gundersen Health System’s Bud Hammes. With IHI’s Martha Hayward also on board, WIHI host Madge Kaplan invites you to get an early look at a unique initiative in the making from the architects themselves. Increasingly, that’s going to become all of us —­having “The Conversation” and telling others how it went and what we learned in the process. It’s hoped that many will benefit, including health professionals who often find themselves at a loss for words, brought up short by their training, and caught in the cross hairs of their own and others’ conflicting emotions and wishes.

Even though we’re talking about death metaphorically in many ways this week, we’re actually going to talk about death literally as well today. Logan Lloyd is a chaplain at UK hospital. He’s also a deacon and a member at Central. So Logan knows first hand what it’s like to walk with folks through the shadow of death and grief--to minister to people at crucial transitions in life. He stopped by to share some stories of his experiences as a chaplain. So, we’ll be talking about end of life issues as well as substance abuse and domestic violence. Logan handles this with great care, but be aware if you’re listening with children or if some of these situations could be a trigger for you. Well also hear a piece by Central's sanctuary choir and a poem by Bill Campbell. Logan mentioned a few resources for dealing with grief and dying. Here are his suggestions: Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, Dying Well by Ira Byock, The Good Death: An Exploration of Dying in America by Ann Neumann. Please know that our ministerial staff is always ready to listen. If you’d like more information, contact the church office or our Associate Pastor of Congregational Care, Crystal Shepherd. www.lexcentral.com

In physician Ira Byock's book called The Four Things That Matter Most, Dr. Byock identifies the basic messages that people most need to speak and hear as they face death.

The post Episode 1: Ira Byock appeared first on Death By Design, End Of Life Planning, Pallative, Hospice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Discover the grassroots movement of Palliative Care with renowned expert Dr. Ira Byock, who has been in the forefront of the industry for many years. Articulate, warm, genuine and full of insight into how it is possible to receive quality medical care that will relieve your suffering no matter what your diagnosis or prognosis or how you choose to treat it. READ MORE  End of Life Care Certificate Program Learn.Create.Serve. Training and mentoring doulas, companions, guides and midwives since 2005  

What if we understand death as a developmental stage — like adolescence or mid-life? Dr. Ira Byock is a leading figure in palliative care and hospice in the United States. He says we lose sight of “the remarkable value” of the time of life we call dying if we forget that it’s always a personal and human event, and not just a medical one. From his place on this medical frontier, he shares how we can understand dying as a time of learning, repair, and completion of our lives.

What if we understand death as a developmental stage — like adolescence or mid-life? Dr. Ira Byock shares how we can understand dying as a time of learning, repair, and completion of our lives. Krista Tippett interviewed Dr. Ira Byock on March 2, 2012. This interview is included in the show “Contemplating Mortality.” Download the produced show at onbeing.org.

Medical Grand Rounds with Timothy Lahey, MD, MMSc. Ira Byock, MD Claire M. Pace, APRN, MSN

Dr. Ira Byock, director of the Palliative Care Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, discusses how to open the conversation about end-of-life planning.

Dr. Ira Byock, director of the Palliative Care Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, discusses the importance of developing an Advance Directives document.

Dr. Ira Byock, director of the Palliative Care Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, discusses the concept of "dying well."

Dr. Ira Byock, director of the Palliative Care Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, discusses how his program cares for people with advanced illnesses.

Guest: Ira Byock, MD Host: Martin Samuels, MD Does discussion of end-of-life issue have to devolve into questions about physician-assisted suicide or so-called death panels? Joining host Dr. Martin Samuels is Dr. Ira Byock, director of palliative medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcok Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. They discuss why this area of medicine is so important, how to better instruct medical students in the field, and the role of compassion in end-of-life care.

Dr Ira Byock is a physician specializing in Hospice and end of life care.

Guest: Ira Byock, MD Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD Join Dr. Ira Byock, Director of Palliative Medicine at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Professor of Anesthesiology and Community and Family Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire, and Director and Co-founder of the Reclaiming the End of Life Initiative, as he discusses his latest book, The Four Things That Matter Most.

Guest: Ira Byock, MD Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD Join Dr. Ira Byock, Director and Co-founder of the Reclaiming the End of Life Initiative, as he discusses how the Initiative was formed to use the upcoming New Hampshire presidential primaries to engage candidates in a national conversation about end of life care.

Guest: Ira Byock, MD Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD Join Dr. Ira Byock, nationally known expert on end of life care, as he discusses solutions to the current end of life care crisis.

A Q&A with Dr. Ira Byock about Palliative Care. This is a web extra to an article that appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of Dartmouth Medicine Magazine. To read the article, go to: http://dartmed.dartmouth.edu/summer06/html/vs_gift.php

A Q&A with Dr. Ira Byock about Palliative Care. This is a web extra to an article that appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of Dartmouth Medicine Magazine. To read the article, go to: http://dartmed.dartmouth.edu/summer06/html/vs_gift.php

A Q&A with Dr. Ira Byock about Palliative Care. This is a web extra to an article that appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of Dartmouth Medicine Magazine. To read the article, go to: http://dartmed.dartmouth.edu/summer06/html/vs_gift.php

A Q&A with Dr. Ira Byock about Palliative Care. This is a web extra to an article that appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of Dartmouth Medicine Magazine. To read the article, go to: http://dartmed.dartmouth.edu/summer06/html/vs_gift.php

A Q&A with Dr. Ira Byock about Palliative Care. This is a web extra to an article that appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of Dartmouth Medicine Magazine. To read the article, go to: http://dartmed.dartmouth.edu/summer06/html/vs_gift.php

A Q&A with Dr. Ira Byock about Palliative Care. This is a web extra to an article that appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of Dartmouth Medicine Magazine. To read the article, go to: http://dartmed.dartmouth.edu/summer06/html/vs_gift.php

A Q&A with Dr. Ira Byock about Palliative Care. This is a web extra to an article that appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of Dartmouth Medicine Magazine. To read the article, go to: http://dartmed.dartmouth.edu/summer06/html/vs_gift.php

A Q&A with Dr. Ira Byock about Palliative Care. This is a web extra to an article that appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of Dartmouth Medicine Magazine. To read the article, go to: http://dartmed.dartmouth.edu/summer06/html/vs_gift.php

A Q&A with Dr. Ira Byock about Palliative Care. This is a web extra to an article that appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of Dartmouth Medicine Magazine. To read the article, go to: http://dartmed.dartmouth.edu/summer06/html/vs_gift.php

A Q&A with Dr. Ira Byock about Palliative Care. This is a web extra to an article that appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of Dartmouth Medicine Magazine. To read the article, go to: http://dartmed.dartmouth.edu/summer06/html/vs_gift.php