SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 53

(By Senators Maroney, Grady, Azinger, Lindsay, Plymale, Rucker, Stollings, Stover, Unger, Weld, and Woodrum )

[Originating in the Committee on Health and Human Resources; reported on March 24, 2021]

Encouraging certain facilities to improve or offer access to palliative care programs.

Whereas, Palliative care access remains a challenge across the state of West Virginia and increasing awareness of the availability of this service will align with many of the state’s goals to improve a patient’s health care experience and quality; and

Whereas, Palliative care empowers people to live as fully as possible, surrounded and supported by family and loved ones, despite serious, though not necessarily terminal, illness; and

Whereas, Palliative care brings patients and family caregivers the highest quality of care delivered by an interdisciplinary team of skilled professionals that includes physicians, advanced practice registered nurses or registered nurses, social workers, counselors, spiritual providers, and consulting pharmacists who make the wishes of each patient and family member a priority; and

Whereas, The interdisciplinary team-based model of care process is designed to relieve suffering and improve quality every day living for patients and families through pain management and symptom control, caregiver training and assistance, and emotional and spiritual support; and

Whereas, This care should be available at any stage of illness from birth to advanced age and offered simultaneously with disease modifying interventions, including attempts for cure and remission; and

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Legislature hereby encourages certain facilities to improve or offer access to palliative care programs; and, be it

Further Resolved, That every long-term care facility or hospital of 50 beds or more offering skilled nursing care should be encouraged to offer a palliative care program to their patients; and, be it

Further Resolved, That every home health and hospice provider should be encouraged to offer palliative care to their patients to complete the continuum of care provided to these patients.