Completing the Picture of Excellence
In 1997, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
launched a national program Promoting
Excellence in End-of-Life Care with a mission of
improving care and quality of life for dying
Americans and their families. We soon realized
that the metaphor of a jigsaw puzzle seemed
apt in describing our efforts to expand access to
services and improve quality of care in a wide
range of settings and with diverse populations.
No single approach would suffice - a variety of
strategies, models of care and stakeholders are
necessary to successfully complete the picture.
This monograph represents one aspect of our
work and one piece of the puzzle of ensuring
that the highest quality of care, including
palliative care, is available to all seriously ill
patients and their families.
Acknowledgements:
This publication was produced by Promoting Excellence in End-of-Life Care, a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, directed by Ira Byock, M.D. Primary authors of this report are:
Renie Schapiro, M.P.H.
Ira Byock, M.D., Director
Susan Parker
Jeanne Sheils Twohig, M.P.A., Deputy Director
Editorial assistance was provided by Karyn Collins, M.P.A., Communications Officer. We extend special appreciation to the individuals in the projects featured who gave their time to provide information for this report.
About the Artists:
The black and white photographs included in this report were taken by Bastienne Schmidt and Philippe Cheng at the Rhode Island Hospital Intensive Care Unit in January 2001 as part of a project entitled "Compassionate Care in the ICU: Creating a Humane Environment," funded by Ortho Biotech and Critical Care/Surgery. The photographers are deeply indebted to Dr. Mitchell Levy and his staff at
Rhode Island Hospital and especially to the patients and their families who allowed them into their lives
during this time.
The Project ENABLE photo was taken by Amy Thompson, Valley News, Lebanon, N.H.
April 2003