FOR ANTIGO TIMES

Aspirus Langlade Hospital is holding two free, community screenings of the PBS Frontline documentary “Being Mortal” on Tuesday June 4^th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm and Thursday June 6^th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm in the hospital conference rooms.  After the screening, the audience can participate in an interactive discussion and ask questions of the medical professionals in attendance.  Sarah Stoehr and Jamie Myers, Advance Care Planning professionals at Aspirus Langlade Hospital, will also explain how to take concrete steps to identify and communicate wishes about end-of-life goals and preferences.

“Being Mortal” delves into the hopes of patients and families facing terminal illness. The film investigates the practice of caring for the dying and explores the relationships between patients and their doctors.  It follows a surgeon, Dr. Atul Gawande, as he shares stories from the people and families he encounters.  When Dr. Gawande’s own father gets cancer, his search for answers about how best to care for the dying becomes a personal quest.  The film sheds light on how a medical system focused on a cure often leaves out the sensitive conversations that need to happen so a patient’s true wishes can be known and honored at the end of life.

“Being Mortal” underscores the importance of people planning ahead and talking with family members about end-of-life decisions.

Seventy percent of Americans say they would prefer to die at home, but nearly 70 percent die in hospitals and institutions. Ninety percent of Americans know they should have conversations about end-of-life care, yet only 30 percent have done so.

The film is adapted from Dr. Gawande’s 2014 nationally best-selling book of the same name.  These free screenings are made possible by a grant from The John and Wauna Harman Foundation in partnership with the Hospice Foundation of America.

For more information about the free screenings, contact LeRoyer Hospice and Palliative Care Department at 715-623-9437 or Advance Care Planning office at 715-623-9790.

Aspirus is a non-profit, community-directed health system based in Wausau, Wisconsin. Its 7,700 employees are focused on improving the health and well-being of people throughout Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Aspirus serves communities through four hospitals in Michigan and four hospitals in Wisconsin, 50 clinics, home health and hospice care, pharmacies, critical care and air-medical transport, medical goods, nursing homes and a broad network of physicians. Aspirus was recognized in 2018 and 2019 by IBM Watson Health as a Top 15 Health System in its annual study identifying the top-performing health systems in the country. For more information, visit aspirus.org.