By persisting in our heroic efforts to restore health, we may only succeed in diminishing a dying patient's quality of life. Only one Minnesotan in four receives hospice care in the last months of life, Malcolm said. Only 13 of the state's 15,000 licensed physicians and 112 of its registered nurses are certified in hospice and palliative care. The need for such information is growing, Ratner said, especially as baby boomers face caring for their aging parents. The commission will meet on Sept. 12.
Meetings are open to the public.