OHSU ETHICIST AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO STATE-BY-STATE REPORT CARD ON END-OF-LIFE CARE

Key findings for Oregon included in report

PORTLAND, Ore. - Last Acts, a national coalition promoting care at the end of life will release a state-by-state report card on care for dying Americans on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Details will first be released during a satellite news feed. Coordinates for that news feed can be found below. Susan Tolle, M.D., director of the Center for Ethics in Health Care at Oregon Health & Science University will be able to respond to the report once the findings are released.

Last Acts' state-by-state analysis, "Means to a Better End: A Report on Dying in America Today," analyzes the availability and use of end-of-life care across the country. The report also calls for specific action steps to strengthen care for dying Americans. Last Acts comprises more than 1,000 organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and AARP

The satellite news feed detailing findings on Tuesday, Nov. 19, will include:

• Judy Peres, Last Acts, announces the findings of the report and comments on Oregon's grades.
• Joseph Fins, M.D., chief of medical ethics, Weill Cornell Medical College, explains end-of-life care.
• Linda Dunleavy, whose family benefited from end-of-life care, speaks about her experiences.
• B-roll: Video of "Means to a Better End: A Report on Dying in America Today," patients in health care facilities, Fins at work and Dunleavy at home

SATELLITE COORDINATES
WHAT: Report on end of life care
FEED TIME: Tuesday, Nov. 19, from 1 - 1:15 p.m. PST
COORDINATES: Telstar 6 - Transponder 1, Frequency 3720, Vertical Polarity, C-Band, Audio 6.2/6.8

Note: Hard copies of the report are available upon request through national contact: Stephanie West at 877 544-8400 (toll-free) To learn more about end-of-life care, visit Last Acts at www.lastacts.org. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funds Last Acts.