Choctaw Regional Medical Center recently hosted a 2-day Palliative Care Symposium on the hospital campus.

The event featured guest speakers Jackie Nason with Kindred Hospice, Michelle Lowe with Halcyon Hospice, and Lacee Jones with Spring Valley Palliative Care. The public was encouraged to participate in open dialogue regarding concepts of hospice, death and dying, powers of attorney, advance directives, and living wills/5 Wishes. Representatives from The Alzheimer’s Association and Generations Care were also in attendance and offered information on their services, and access to resources and answered guests’ questions. Refreshments were served and door prizes were given away.

The symposium’s organizer, CRMC Director of Social Services, Stephanie Black, stated, “The purpose of the symposium was to educate and provide information on the leading causes of death in Choctaw County, which are heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and COPD. We also wanted to make the community aware of resources that are available, how to access them, and the importance of pre-planning for future medical events.” Stephanie added, “We would like to thank our speakers, vendors, and those who attended the event. A special thank you to The Coffee Shop of Ackerman, Forget Me Not Florist, Glam 39735 Nutrition, Choctaw Regional Medical Center, Louisville Medical Clinic, Kindred Hospice, Generations Care, and Halcyon Hospice for generously donating prizes that were given away at the end of each day.”