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August 9, 2018
The Catholic Health Association of the United States, the Catholic bishops of California, Providence St. Joseph Health and Dignity Health have formed a national partnership to develop quality palliative care programs that support and accompany the chronically and terminally ill in both clinical and parish settings.
The Whole Person Care Initiative, jointly announced Aug. 1 in Sacramento and Washington, is intended to help parishes, hospitals, visiting nurse programs, seminarians, deacons and parish volunteers convey church teachings on the end of life and the availability of clinical and community-based palliative care. The collaborative will develop new programs where needed and enhance existing programs already providing caring support for the sick and bereaved.
“Catholic health institutions have long been leaders in caring for the very ill and dying and are uniquely positioned to excel in this work especially among many underserved communities,” the announcement said.