Call for Presentation Proposals

NHPCO's 13th Clinical Team Conference and Pediatric Intensive
It's About How We CARE: Collaborate, Assess, Relieve, Evaluate
Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Lake Buena Vista FL

November 3-4, 2012: Hospice Manager Development Program Foundational Course
November 4, 2012: Preconference Seminars
November 5-7, 2012: Clinical Team Conference and Pediatric Intensive

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION CLOSED

The deadlines to enter new abstracts and to edit existing abstracts have been reached.

Clinical and interdisciplinary team excellence that ensures the provision of quality care to patients and families at the end of life is the driving force for hospice and palliative care professionals; so much so, that participants will explore interdisciplinary, clinical and team excellence and quality – and their myriad facets – at NHPCO's 13th Clinical Team Conference and Pediatric Intensive.

Whether you are providing care to patients and families through interdisciplinary practice, managing interdisciplinary team staff, leading quality efforts or responsible for related practices and processes, you need the same critical information at your disposal; information that helps you CARE: collaborate, assess, relieve and evaluate. Such vital information can help you keep pace with evidence-based practice, adapt and respond to impending changes, work in partnership across the care continuum and ensure that the CARE you provide is of exceptional quality.

The 2012 Clinical Team Conference and Pediatric Intensive is the only conference dedicated to interdisciplinary practice in the end-of-life care field. The Conference will offer extensive and intensive basic (for the novice), intermediate (for the proficient) and advanced (for the expert) educational sessions that will address a wide variety of topics, providing the opportunity for participants to realize these objectives:

• Collaborate across the care continuum to improve the access, care and outcomes of hospice and palliative care in diverse settings to diverse populations;
• Advance competencies in assessment of patient, family and community needs;
• Relieve suffering (physical, emotional, spiritual and related forms);
• Evaluate the quality of their care, interdisciplinary practice and overall programs;
• Strengthen the provision of quality, evidence-based, ethical, effective and efficient clinical practice at the end of life
• Infuse hospice values into new care settings and delivery systems;
• Identify regulatory requirements and approaches to ensure compliance;
• Evaluate quality assessment and performance improvement strategies and successes and prepare for quality reporting;
• Advance the provision of quality hospice and palliative care for children and their families;
• Participate in self-care opportunities;
• Strengthen networking, discussion and sharing among hospice and palliative care professionals.

Join us in exploring how we CARE: by submitting a proposal that demonstrates significant work and achievement in meeting one or more of the conference objectives bulleted above. The Conference Planning Committee is particularly interested in receiving proposals for advanced (for the expert) topics. Although all professional disciplines will be represented in the educational content and interdisciplinary team practice is a key focal area, psychosocial and spiritual topics in particular are being sought. Help ensure that hospice and palliative care professionals have the knowledge, skill and competency to ensure the provision of quality care now and into the future.

Demonstrate how your interdisciplinary and palliative care teams collaborate with patients and families, each other and your communities to create access in new and innovative ways, introduce new models of care delivery, respond to unmet needs and distinguish yourselves in the hospice and palliative care field.

Share your successes in the assessment of needs; from community needs to patient needs at the bedside; assessment is an ongoing, vital practice that promotes quality outcomes.

Highlight strategies that clinical professionals employ to address and relieve suffering in its many capacities; physical, emotional spiritual and related forms that impact quality of life. Identify practices you and your team engage in that relieve burdens and remove obstacles for patients, families, colleagues, your organization and the broader community.

Explain how you ensure the quality of the services you provide; how you evaluate care, determine whether your interventions have been successful, whether anticipated outcomes have been achieved. Share QAPI approaches and successes.

The 2012 Clinical Team Conference and Pediatric Symposium will provide an array of offerings through numerous venues to help individuals and organizations improve CARE, including:

• Pediatric Intensive
• Hospice Manager Development Program
• Preconference Seminars
• Concurrent sessions: over 100 sessions from which to choose on the broad topic areas of access and outreach, advances in pain and symptom management, bereavement, clinical management, clinical/medical care, care continuum innovations, education, ethics, interdisciplinary team, palliative care, pediatric palliative and end-of-life care, psychosocial care, quality assessment and performance improvement, regulatory/compliance, research, spiritual care, volunteer leadership and management
• Poster Sessions
• Memorial Service
• Reflection Room and self-care learning opportunities

Submissions Closed

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Important Dates
Presentation/Paper Proposal Deadline (Midnight ET): Poster Proposal Deadline (Midnight ET): Thursday, March 1, 2012 Proposal Notification: May 2012(through email) Poster Notification: May 2012 (through email)

Target Audience
Over 1,300 people are expected to attend the 13th Clinical Team Conference and Pediatric Intensive. All members of the hospice/palliative care team and community stakeholders will be represented at the conference and related events, including administrators, bereavement professionals, counselors, educators, managers, nurses, pharmacists, physicians, researchers, social workers, spiritual caregivers, team leaders, volunteers , volunteer leaders and managers and others working to promote the care continuum and quality end-of-life care.

Selection of Conference Faculty
Preconference and plenary speakers are invited by NHPCO staff. Concurrent, workshop and poster presentations are selected through this Call for Presentation Proposals. Preference is given to those with significant expertise and experience presenting at national, state and community events, and a detailed description of the presenter's education, qualifications and presentation experience is required. In addition, each faculty member is required to disclose any relevant financial relationships they have with commercial companies (see Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships with Commercial Companies below).

NHPCO seeks proposals from a wide variety of professionals involved in end-of-life care; however preference is given to those who are affiliated with an NHPCO member (if applicable).

Required Information
The Conference Planning Committee has asked that we stress the importance of completing ALL requested information for each prospective presenter, which includes educational background, qualifications, professional and presentation experience and disclosure. Conference Planning Committee members review all proposals submitted and their reviews help determine whether a proposal is selected for the conference. Inadequate and/or incomplete information is not viewed favorably by reviewers and directly affects the acceptance of proposals. To ensure your proposal is given serious consideration, provide ALL requested information in the online submission format and ensure that any co-presenters complete required information before proposals enter the review process (generally within one week of the close of this Call for Proposals).

Types of Presentations
The Conference Planning Committee is seeking proposals in the following categories:

• 90 Minute Workshops (must include participant involvement in the learning experience): Workshops and/or skill-building sessions that present an in-depth exploration of a new model, theory or program or research topic and/or teach new approaches or skills to the audience. Note: Very few workshops will be selected for this conference; make sure your proposal for a 90 minute session meets the criteria.
• 60 Minute Concurrent Sessions: Concurrent sessions provide an overview of an innovative program or project, presentation of findings from a research project or quality improvement initiative, review of regulatory changes or highlight industry trends and include a brief Q & A period.
• Poster Presentations: (visual presentations of scientific research, data or program innovations): Reports of completed research, research in progress, or recently initiated projects may be submitted as a poster presentation. Effective poster presentations are focused on a single message, use graphics and images to convey the message (with minimal use of text), are well-ordered and sequenced in an obvious, easy to follow way. Posters will be displayed on bulletin boards and specific time to meet with faculty will be included in the conference program.

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships with Commercial Companies
NHPCO endorses the Standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), which specifies that sponsors (i.e. NHPCO) of continuing medical education/continuing education activities disclose relevant financial relationships* with commercial interests* whose products or services are discussed in educational presentations.

NHPCO has implemented a process where everyone who is in a position to control the content of an educational activity must disclose all relevant financial relationships they have with any commercial interest. (This includes NHPCO, as we disclose all educational grants we receive for our conferences, for example, to attendees.)

If it is determined that a conflict of interest* exists as a result of a financial relationship faculty has, NHPCO will work with the faculty to resolve the conflict prior to the conference. Any faculty who refuse to disclose relevant financial relationships will be disqualified from presenting at this conference.

Under no circumstances should NHPCO's national conference be used as a place for promotion of a faculty member's product, service or monetary self-interest. NHPCO takes the responsibility for ensuring that conferences are free from commercial bias very seriously, and may decline all future proposals from a presenter that does not abide by this policy.

* See below for a glossary of terms.

Presentation Expectations
All presentations made at NHPCO conferences must adhere to ACCME's content validation value statements. Specifically, all suggestions or recommendations involving clinical medicine and practice must be based upon evidence that is accepted within the medical profession. All presentations made at NHPCO conferences must adhere to ACCME's content validation value statements. Specifically, all suggestions or recommendations involving clinical medicine and practice must be based upon evidence that is accepted within the medical profession.

In addition, all scientific research referred to, reported or used in a conference session must conform to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection and analysis.

NHPCO faculty is expected to refrain from overt statements, harsh language or pointed humor that disparages the rightful dignity and social equity of any individual or group.

All materials provided in conference sessions must be reviewed by NHPCO prior to the conference. As a result, deadlines for PowerPoint slides and/or handouts are scheduled well in advance of the conference. Materials not submitted to NHPCO for review in advance may not be shown or provided in conference sessions.

Conference Schedule
To achieve a balanced conference program, NHPCO will determine the days and times that sessions are scheduled. Presenters must be able to speak on the day assigned. NHPCO reserves the right to change the length of any session; faculty will be notified and asked to adjust their content outline accordingly.

Proposal Submission Guidelines
In order to allow an independent evaluation of the relevance and potential effectiveness of the presentation and to afford us the opportunity to apply for continuing education credit for professional disciplines, submissions must include the following:

• Presentation type (60-minute concurrent session or 90-minute workshop)
• Title/Overview
  • A title for the presentation that informs the reviewer of the subject matter
  • Submitter's e-mail address
  • Presentation level (novice, competent or expert)
  • Area of emphasis (you will be asked to select a key topic area for your proposal from a drop-down menu)
• Presenter(s)
  • A completed "Presenter Profile" for each presenter, which includes the presenter's
    • Current position
    • Current contact information with email address
    • Highest degree earned and institutions attended
    • Experience
• Disclosure for each presenter
• A 2-3 sentence description of the session (to enable attendees to determine their interest in attending)
• Objectives, Strategies, Gaps and References
  • Three or more measurable learning objectives (written from the perspective of what participants will learn rather than what the presenter will teach);
  • Identification of teaching strategies
  • Description of what gap in knowledge, practice or outcomes underlies the need for this session
  • Three to five references (professional publications, books and/or research from the past 5 years) that support and document the evidence-base or content validity of the proposal
• Detailed content outline
  • Identification of all major topics that will be covered in the presentation
  • Detailed description of all discussion, experiential or participatory aspects of the session
  • Adequate information to enable proposal reviewers to discern whether the session will have broad interest, appeal, applicability and whether it will meet one or more of the conference objectives.

Presentations should demonstrate measurable impact and results. Your emphasis should be on the application of the concept or solution presented using simulations, exercises, and tools that enhance the learning experience. Feedback received from previous conferences indicates that attendees are looking for "real-world" examples of what works and "how-to" suggestions to implement new ideas and programs.

Areas of Emphasis and Topic Ideas
You will be asked to select one of the Areas of Emphasis identified below when submitting your proposal. The list of topic ideas, however, is a partial list meant to stimulate your thinking. The Conference Planning Committee is particularly interested in proposals that address the conference theme and objectives from individual, organizational, community, state, regional or national perspectives.

The Conference Planning Committee is particularly interested in proposals that advance the interdisciplinary practice of quality clinical care at the end of life and throughout the care continuum.

Area of Emphasis	Examples of Topic Ideas
Access and Outreach	Successes in increasing access to underserved populations Successes in providing care in diverse settings including care facilities, homeless shelters, prisons, etc. Increasing access to eligible patients with specific, non-traditional diagnoses Innovative outreach strategies Innovative approaches to community outreach and education Innovations in advance care planning Caregiver outreach and education Effective utilization of social media in outreach
Advances in Pain and Symptom Management	Pain management for the novice (beginner) Advances in pain and symptom management Innovations in pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions Managing complex cases New approaches to disease management Utilization of complementary therapies Pain management and addiction Utilizing palliative sedation – clinical and ethical implications
Bereavement	Bereavement concepts and approaches for the novice (beginner) Time-limited and ongoing group approaches individual and family counseling approaches Successes in bereavement services to specific populations (i.e. men, teens, children, families, elders, diverse populations, etc.) Evaluating bereavement services/support efficacy Measuring client adaptation to significant loss Distinguishing complicated grief Community outreach through bereavement services Responding to trauma and disaster Advances in providing care to specific populations (families, children, teens) New risk assessment models and hospice’s role in responding to complicated bereavement
Care Continuum Innovations	Chronic care or other models Collaborative and/or partnership models Hospital-based palliative care Medical homes Palliative care at home Palliative care clinic Solutions to gaps in continuity of care Transitions programs that facilitate discussion re: goals of care (curative to palliative)
Clinical Management	Creating peer accountability on teams Demonstrated successes in team leadership Fostering an environment of continuous learning Interdisciplinary best practices Interdisciplinary team leadership models and successes Maximizing team performance Ensuring the provision of patient/family-centered care
Clinical/Medical Care	Clinical and medical end-of-life care for the novice (beginner) New models of assessment and care planning Putting research into practice Innovative clinical protocols Advances in clinical and/or medical care at the end of life Providing quality care during disasters Clinical care of the pediatric palliative care/hospice patient Communication strategies for clinicians Professional integration of complementary therapies into interdisciplinary care
Education	Radically new orientation models Successes in integrating distance/e-learning modalities to train staff, volunteers, family caregivers Creative approaches to mentoring and preceptoring Developing and utilizing clinical competencies Skills development for educators and speakers Effective educational programs for staff in long-term care facilities Educational program models to prepare for and respond to disaster Understanding and educating today’s workforce
Ethics	Understanding ethics in end-of-life care for the novice (beginner) Creating dynamic and effective ethics committees Approaches to resolving ethical dilemmas Review of new/pressing ethical issues Case-based ethical discussions and resolutions Patient autonomy challenges
Interdisciplinary Team	Interdisciplinary care basics and practice for the novice (beginner) Interdisciplinary best practices in clinical care Advancing interdisciplinary function and success Innovative models of interdisciplinary care at the end of life Dynamic models for team meetings Radically new team structures or service delivery models Team function, practice and success during disaster Leading effective teams
Palliative Care Continuum	Successes in palliative care programs Partnerships with adult day care, senior service and other community partners to increase access Collaborations and partnerships to expand access and services Successful use of POLST in palliative care settings
Pediatric Palliative and End-of-Life Care	Pediatric palliative and end-of-life care for the novice (beginner) Successes in clinical care protocols for pediatric populations Pediatric pain and symptom management protocols Trajectories for life-limiting pediatric diseases Innovations in working with families coping with a child’s serious illness New approaches to pediatric palliative care Creative approaches to working with pediatric patients and families Psychosocial care of pediatric patients and their families Creative approaches to caring for pediatric patients and their families/communities Program design strategies for starting or expanding a pediatric program Providing bereavement services to children, teens and families Spiritual care of pediatric patients and their families Residential pediatric palliative care Transitioning care for children who survive to adulthood Ethical considerations and challenges in pediatric palliative care
Psychosocial Care	Psychosocial care basics and practices for the novice (beginner) Psychosocial assessment best practices Effective counseling models for end-of-life care Systems perspectives in psychosocial care Advocacy success models (community, interdisciplinary, community) Interdisciplinary models of psychosocial care Trauma and disaster interventions Working within family systems, beliefs and values to achieve pain and symptom control
Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement	Quality assessment and performance improvement for the novice (beginner) Demonstrated quality and outcomes in clinical practice Quality Partner demonstration projects in clinical areas Quality collaborative successes in clinical services Innovative models of quality clinical care Quality and performance improvement in facility-based programs Successes in clinical performance improvement projects Implementing organizational approaches to performance improvement Demonstrated clinical outcomes in performance improvement Lessons from programs that have survived disasters Successes in implementation of organizational change
Regulatory/ Compliance	Understanding the Medicare Hospice Benefit and regulatory requirements for the novice (beginner) Advances in clinical documentation Documenting eligibility in non-cancer diagnoses Meeting and exceeding regulatory requirements – CoPs, CR5567, etc. Care plan management Managing Medicare audits and denials Effectively managing and documenting revocations, transfers and discharges
Research (research presentations are solicited for all conference topics)	Research related to: Access and outreach Advanced pain and symptom management Bereavement Clinical/medical care Education Ethics Facility-based care Hospice and palliative care for dialysis patients Innovative service delivery Interdisciplinary team Pediatric palliative and end-of-life care Performance improvement Psychosocial care Quality Regulatory/compliance Spiritual care Volunteer services
Spiritual Care	Spiritual care basics and practices for the novice (beginner) Spiritual assessment advances Effective spiritual care models for end-of-life care Systems perspectives in spiritual care Interdisciplinary models of spiritual care Successes in working with diverse religions, traditions and practices Engaging community clergy in end-of-life care
Volunteer Management and Leadership	Utilizing skills and talents of volunteers Increasing the diversity of volunteers Innovations in recruitment, retention and recognition Managing challenging volunteers Utilizing professional volunteers Risk management Essential skills for new volunteer managers Creative approaches to volunteerism in end-of-life care settings Teen volunteers Elder volunteers Volunteer families From volunteer manager to volunteer leaders and catalysts for organizational change Volunteer competency development and measurement/evaluation Quality Assessment/Performance Improvement for volunteer programs Understanding and complying with the Medicare Hospice Conditions of Participation

Proposal Review, Selection and Notification Process
NHPCO's proposal review process is conducted by members of the Conference Planning Committee, which ensures a rigorous review of every proposal. This Committee is comprised of hospice and palliative care professionals from NHPCO's Professional Education Committee, National Council of Hospice and Palliative Professionals (NCHPP), Council of States, NHPCO committees and other education, hospice and palliative care professionals with demonstrated successes the hospice interdisciplinary team, clinical, psychosocial, spiritual and bereavement aspects of care and quality criteria.
Proposals are reviewed carefully based on the following criteria:

• Topic is innovative, relevant and/or related to the conference theme, objectives and goals;
• Time allocation and presentation content are well organized, with an accurate presentation level;
• Presenter has appropriate and relevant expertise and experience in the topic area;
• Learning objectives are measurable and achievable, (view sample);
• Likelihood of significant interest, appeal, applicability in the session;
• Quality of practical information: tools, tips, practices, etc. that attendees will be able to implement and/or utilize following the presentation;
• Identification of relevant professional practice gaps;
• Relevant reference information.

The Conference Planning Committee encourages proposals from companies and organizations representing diverse points of view. Proposals are selected on the basis of information submitted. Speakers, session titles, and content are expected to correspond to the proposal. Any speaker substitutions, deletions, or additions must be approved by NHPCO. NHPCO reserves the right to edit accepted presentations for publication on NHPCO's website and in conference materials.

All materials provided in conference sessions must be reviewed by NHPCO prior to the conference. As a result, deadlines for session handouts and slides are scheduled well in advance of the conference. Materials not submitted to NHPCO for review in advance may not be shown or provided in conference sessions.

Should you be selected to speak at this NHPCO conference, we ask that you view the opportunity as an important commitment and ensure that you meet all requests and deadlines, and that you deliver the presentation as scheduled. By sharing your expertise, you make a valuable contribution to the end-of-life care field.

Electronic Communications
All potential presenters who submit a proposal will receive e-mail notification of their proposal's status. Once the selection of proposals is complete, a Letter of Understanding (LOU) and other faculty information will be provided to presenters. An electronic message will be sent to all presenters whose proposals were accepted with a link to the Conference Faculty website. This website will include all deadlines and required information needed for the conference. The majority of communication with faculty is electronic.

Presenter Registration Discount
As a nonprofit association, NHPCO does not provide honoraria for concurrent session presentations. Speakers must cover all of their individual travel and living expenses. Presenters and co-presenters attending the full conference receive a discount on the conference registration fee; the cost is $350 per faculty attendee. NHPCO does not reimburse presenters or co-presenters for travel, lodging or other expenses.

Audio Visual Equipment
NHPCO provides laptop computers and standard audio-visual equipment for all presentations. Additional information will be provided on the Faculty website.

For more information on our Call for Abstracts process or to be added to the listserv for future conferences, please contact Cozzie King at cking@nhpco.org or 703-837-1500.