Urges Congress to pass "Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act" and fund initiatives to expand palliative care.
Impact
The resolution addresses the growing need for palliative care specialists as the U.S. population ages and encounters chronic, progressive illnesses. It points to the insufficient number of such specialists currently available, particularly in New Jersey, where there are only two one-year palliative care fellowship programs. Through the proposed federal legislation, it seeks to secure resources and enhance end-of-life care services for all Americans by providing fellowship funding and promoting the career development of healthcare professionals in this field.
Summary
SCR46 is a Senate Concurrent Resolution introduced in the New Jersey 220th Legislature that urges Congress to pass the 'Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act' (PCHETA). The resolution emphasizes the importance of palliative care, which is specialized medical care focused on relieving the symptoms and stress of serious illnesses to improve the quality of life for both patients and their families. Moreover, it highlights that palliative care can be provided alongside curative treatments and is appropriate for patients of any age or stage in their illness.
Contention
One of the key points of contention surrounding SCR46 lies in the traditional medical education system, which primarily equips physicians with skills for diagnosing and treating illnesses, rather than comprehensive end-of-life care. This resolution aims to bridge that gap by advocating for improved training and availability of programs in palliative care. Additionally, it calls on the New Jersey Congressional delegation to support the funding of initiatives that would expand palliative care fellowship programs, reflecting a significant shift in focus towards end-of-life care in medical training and practice.