Developed in 2021, the For HMDCs, by HMDCs webinar series is an opportunity for certificants to share their experiences and hospice knowledge to aid in the professional development of their certified colleagues.
Each session is focused on a topic relevant for today's hospice physician/medical director and is primarly taught by HMDCB-certified physicians. Sessions are free for certified physicians, except for those that provide CME.
Session 1: January 21, 2025 at 1:30 pm CT
What are my Options? MAID in Hospice Care
Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) can be complex for hospice physicians to navigate. In this webinar, learn about regulations and ethics related to MAID, a physician's role in the MAID process, and how to support patients and families. This session will be 90 minutes and include a lecture and open Q&A with the panelists.
Faculty:
John Halporn, MD
Robin Plumer, DO HMDC
David Wensel, DO FAAHPM HMDC
CME will not be provided for this session.
Session 2: March 18, 2025 at 5 pm CT
Hospice Core Roles & Responsibilities
Hospice medicine and the role of the Hospice Medical Director (HMD) are constantly evolving. In this session, learn from an expert in hospice & palliative care about the current state of hospice medicine, the roles and responsibilities of the Hospice Medical Director, and how you can be an effective HMD/hospice physician.
Faculty:
Ira Byock, MD FAAHPM
CME will not be provided for this session.
Session 3: April 17, 2025 at 11 am CT
Bridging the Gap: Empowering Adult-Based Clinicians Infrequently Caring for Children
This moderated panel discussion will equip adult-based hospice and palliative care clinicians with education, resources, and practical strategies to improve their ability to care for pediatric patients in the absence of pediatric specialists’ availability. By addressing knowledge gaps, resource availability, and emotional preparedness, this webinar will help ensure that age is never a barrier to receiving high-quality, compassionate hospice and palliative care.
Faculty
Sarah Ehrman, MD
Emma Jones, MD HMDC
Tricia Keefer, MD
Moderator
Michael Barnett, MD MS FACP FAAP FAAHPM
CME will be provided for this session.
Session 4: May 29, 2025 at 11 am CT
Preparing and Improving Your Career in Hospice
Learn from a panel of experienced hospice physicians about the skills necessary to become a hospice medical director/physician, including, how to run an IDT, how to troubleshoot obstacles or triage nursing in the field, and how to keep within CMS regulations as the landscape of policy changes.
Faculty:
Ivy Akid, MD MPH HMDC
Kaishauna Guidry, MD HMDC
Rachel Lovins, MD HMDC CPE
Moderator:
Todd Cote, MD FAAFP FAAHPM HMDC
CME will not be provided for this session.
Session 5: July 22, 2025 at 2 pm CT
Physician Leadership in the IDG Meeting: How Anticipatory Care Planning Can Transform IDG Meetings, Patient Care, and Hospice Care Index Performance
Historically, hospice interdisciplinary group (IDG) members have relied heavily on “reporting” to communicate any changes in the patient’s updated comprehensive assessment and progress toward outcomes and individualized goals. As leaders in the IDG, hospice physicians have a unique opportunity to transform IDG meetings and patient care by changing the meeting’s focus from “reporting” to “anticipatory care planning.” Anticipatory care planning allows the IDG members to: Anticipate expected disease progression and prepare the patient/family, plan for potential symptom escalation, proactively modify visit frequency, as warranted, closely monitor and prevent Medicare spending outside the hospice benefit, and positively impact the hospice’s Hospice Care Index (HCI) performance by decreasing burdensome transitions (Type 1 and 2) and implementing timely Hospice Visits in the Last Days of Life (HVLDL).
Faculty:
Carrie Cooley, RN MSN
Lauren Templeton, DO FAAHPM HMDC
CME will not be provided for this session.
Session 6: September 2025
Registration Coming Soon!
Session 7: November 18, 2025 at 10 am CT
Not Your Mama's Cannabis - Understanding the Risks of Modern-Day Cannabis
More than 4 million patients in the US report using cannabis medicinally, and the number is likely higher due to expanding cannabis access in many US states. As the scientific evidence for its role in symptom relief evolves, hospice providers must also be aware of the unique risks associated with the modern cannabis products available to patients in their communities. In this webinar, we will explore the impacts of high potency THC products, contaminants, and synthetic cannabinoids. Effects such as cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, psychosis, and cannabis use disorder will be discussed, along with perspectives specific to the use of cannabis by medically frail patients receiving end-of-life care.
Faculty:
Carrie Hempel-Sanderoff, DO HMDC
CME will not be provided for this session.
Additional sessions will be posted throughout 2025. Check this page for updates!
Session Recordings: All session recordings are available for certified physicians only in HMDCB's new learning management system, The Certification Center. To learn how to create an account and access previous sessions, follow the steps in this user guide.
If you have any questions or would like to propose a future session topic, email Gina at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
