Advanced Directives Day (2007)

Advanced Directives Day

WHEREAS, Advance Directives Day is designed to raise public awareness of the importance of planning ahead for health care decisions related to end of life care and medical decision making in the event that patients are unable to speak for themselves and to encourage the specific use of Advanced Directives to communicate these important health care decisions; and

WHEREAS, in Virginia, the Health Care Decisions Act provides the specifics of our Advance Directives law and offers a model form for patient use; and

WHEREAS,  estimates indicate that only about 15 percent of all Virginians have executed an Advance Directive, and it is estimated that less than 50 percent of severely or terminally ill patients have an Advance Directive; and
  
WHEREAS,  one of the primary goals of Advanced Directives Day is to encourage hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, and hospices to participate in a Commonwealth-wide effort to provide clear and consistent information to the public about Advanced Directives; and

WHEREAS,  it is important to encourage the participation of medical professionals and lawyers in volunteer efforts that help to improve public knowledge and increase the number of Virginia citizens with Advanced Directives; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, the Virginia Healthcare Association, the Virginia Association of Nonprofit Homes for the Aging, the Virginia Association for Hospices, the Health Law Sections of the Virginia State Bar, the Senior Lawyers Conference of the Virginia State Bar, the Medical Society of Virginia, the Richmond Academy of Medicine, and the Virginia Department for the Aging along with many other organizations have endorsed and are committed to educating the public about the importance of discussing health care choices and executing Advance Directives;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Timothy M. Kaine, do hereby recognize April 17, 2007 as ADVANCE DIRECTIVES DAY in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.