Saint Michael’s Medical Center Offers Help on Health-care Decision Making

NEWARK, N.J. (April 1, 2008) –– On Wednesday, April 16, 2008, in observance of National Healthcare Decisions Day, Saint Michael’s Medical Center will host a free seminar on advance health-care decision making. The seminar will be presented at two sessions, at 10 a.m. and again at 1 p.m., in the conference room of the Cathedral Regional Cancer Center, 111 Central Avenue, Newark.

Monsignor Manuel Cruz, director of pastoral care at Saint Michael’s Medical Center, will join experts in the fields of ethics and social work to explore the importance of advance health-care decision making. Participants will learn about preparing an advance directive, or “living will,” which conveys a patient’s wishes and instructions to physicians and health-care personnel in the event the patient becomes unable to communicate decisions about his or her medical care.

“National Healthcare Decisions Day gives us an opportunity to show how advance directive documents give patients a voice in their care when and if they become incapacitated by illness,” explained Felicia Karsos, administrator of Saint Michael’s Medical Center. “This seminar will help patients and their families anticipate and confront some very difficult decisions that so often must be made during a serious illness and at the end of life.”

The free seminar is open to the public. Those interested in attending either of the two sessions can register by calling (973) 877-5621.

Saint Michael’s Medical Center, a 337-bed regional primary-care, teaching, and research center in the heart of Newark’s main business and educational district, has served the Greater Newark community for more than 140 years. More information is available online at www.smmcnj.org.