Every month, Compassion & Choices connects with communities nationwide to ensure that all people can access the information and resources they need to plan for their future healthcare and end-of-life experience. We are also committed to reaching healthcare providers in the U.S. to transform end-of-life care. 

Through this new blog series, we’ll share where we’ve been each month and how we are improving care and empowering everyone to chart their end-of-life journey.

October 2 | Public education presentation in San Diego, California. As part of Grossmont Healthcare District’s end-of-life series, National Director for Clinical Engagement Jessica Empeño hosted a resource table and presented to community members on Understanding the Language of End of Life: Hospice, Palliative Care, Death Doulas, and More.

October 2-6 | Vision y Compromiso conference in Los Angeles, California. For the third year in a row, we participated in and sponsored the Vision y Compromiso conference, one of the largest gatherings of community health workers in the nation. Latino Engagement Manager Leslie Martinez Ramirez presented to attendees and hosted a workshop about health equity and end-of-life care for Latinos. She also had a table to connect with attendees about C&C and share free resources.

October 4-9 | National Summit for Courageous Conversation in Chicago, Illinois. C&C’s African American Engagement team participated in this national gathering for racial equity leaders to address systemic racism and its impact on opportunity and achievement for all people. During the summit, we connected with Opal Lee, a 98-year-old retired teacher, counselor, and activist in the movement to make Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday. She is often described as the “grandmother of Juneteenth.”

October 8-10 | Texas State Missionary Baptist Convention in Texas City, Texas. We sponsored the 92nd annual session of the Texas State Missionary Baptist Convention, a fellowship of Baptist churches in Texas. C&C African American Leadership Council member Rev. Charles McNeill attended and presented to over 200 faith leaders on the importance of advance care planning.

October 11-12 | Minding the Gaps: Serving the Whole Person Through Palliative Care conference in San Diego, California. Jessica Empeño participated in this annual conference hosted by the San Diego Coalition for Compassionate Care and the CSU Shirley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care. Attended by some of the nation’s top palliative care professionals, Jessica connected with clinicians and hosted a table sharing information and resources.

October 15-16 | Latino community events in Detroit, Michigan, and Las Vegas, Nevada. C&C’s Latino Engagement team collaborated with Centro Multicultural La Familia to participate in a local health fair and host a workshop at the Consulate of Mexico in Detroit. Together we had meaningful conversations with community members and raised awareness about end-of-life planning and care. That weekend we also partnered with R.E.A.C.H Las Vegas to host an information table during the Consulate of Mexico’s Flu Vaccines Health Fair, reaching 56 people with free resources.

October 17 | Cara a Cara hybrid event. Latino Engagement closed out Hispanic Heritage Month by sponsoring and co-organizing Cara a Cara with the Latinx Task Force and Face to Face. Held in Spanish online and in person in Corpus Christi, Texas, this event provided an introduction to end-of-life options and planning, and featured Leslie Martinez Ramirez as a keynote speaker.

October 17-20 | Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNPs) of Color 2024 conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. African American Engagement Director Elisha Hall and C&C African American Leadership Council member Missy Moore attended the DNPs of Color 2024 annual conference, which drew over 300 doctoral nurses and health equity practitioners. Missy Moore also presented at the conference.

October 17, 24 | Equipping clinicians in Los Angeles, California. Jessica Empeño provided a two-part training for clinical counseling interns and staff at Cancer Support Community Los Angeles on end-of-life options and advance care planning.

October 19 | The Big Island Art and Science Summit in Kailua Kona, Hawai’i. We continue to reach and engage with communities in Hawai’i through sponsoring artistic and cultural events like the recent Big Island Art and Science Summit. Chief Engagement Officer Brandi Alexander provided the opening keynote address, introducing over 1,000 attendees to our work improving care and expanding end-of-life options.

October 19 | Latino and faith community engagement in Texas. We sponsored the 2024 Congreso de la Divina Misericordia (Divine Mercy Conference) in San Antonio, Texas — one of the largest gatherings for the Catholic Latino community in the city. We reached around 350 people with information and materials on advance care planning. Meanwhile in Dallas we sponsored the inauguration of the Binational Health Week with our partner Amigos Sin Fronteras. The week was a massive public health mobilization effort that helped Latinos in North Texas access vital services and resources. Leslie Martinez Ramirez participated as one of the main speakers at the kickoff event.

October 22 | Connecting with clinicians from coast to coast. Jessica Empeño provided training on best practices and supporting patient requests for medical aid in dying to the psychosocial-spiritual team at a San Diego-based hospice organization. That same day, Director of Clinical Advocacy Ashley Fry presented to DNP students at George Washington University about the value of nurses in end-of-life policy engagement.

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