Mark Ganz was invited to speak at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Palliative Care Forum on November 6th in Portland, Oregon, where he also introduced Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon. Mark started his presentation by quoting Ira Byock, a physician specializing in palliative care: “The fundamental nature of serious illness is personal; it’s personal to the patient and personal to their families.” Remembering this simple fact can help shift the mindset of the health care system, so the question asked is, what matters to you? Instead of, what’s the matter with you?
Mark explained we need to change the current thinking that the only way you heal someone is by curing their ailment, illness or symptoms. Healing is also about making sure the patient’s desires and wishes are asked about, listened to and understood in the context of pursuing a cure, with the recognition that a cure may not happen and that the most healing thing may be ensuring the best life possible until its natural completion.
Cambia has been on a journey to transform health care and specifically palliative care for almost a decade. The Cambia Health Foundation has invested a total of $12 million dollars with their Sojourns awards and grants. While continuing this work, Cambia is now transferring the knowledge they’ve gained to their health plan for what experts are calling, “The most comprehensive person-focused approach to address and pay for palliative care services.” For Mark and for Cambia, the work in palliative care has never been about a return on investment, it’s always been about return on humanity and transforming health care in a genuine way, to be more person focused.
At the event, Mark had the opportunity to introduce Senator Wyden, whose work really complements Cambia’s approach. Wyden has been such a strong voice in Washington, D.C., with a long history of personal dedication to chronic care, so closely related to palliative care. As Senator Wyden put it, these two critical issues are “two sides of the same coin.” The main message of both Mark and Senator Wyden is that palliative care is a critical issue for our health care system and we must work together through health care transformation and legislation so we can successfully raise awareness, shift the mindset and make real change happen toward a personalized health care system that puts the patients’ needs first and foremost.
