Closure Speakers' Bureau

The Jewish Healthcare Foundation has been focused on raising awareness about end-of-life issues for several years.  We have learned many valuable lessons from healthcare professionals and consumers alike and we are prepared to share them with your library patrons at no cost through our Speakers’ Bureau…in November or any time of the year.

Please open the attachment for a brief overview of this initiative. Then go to www.closure.org to learn more about the twelve modules on end-of-life issues called Closure 101. These are the topics that our speakers are prepared to share with the public.  You may choose a single overview module for a one-time presentation or schedule a series that includes the lessons that you select. Our speakers are available for day or evening engagements. [Download the flyer]

The Bureau speakers are seasoned professionals with a passion for this work: physicians, social workers, attorneys, nurses, community outreach specialists and experienced consumers with hundreds of hours of experience among them. They have all been trained to present the interactive lessons to adults through lectures or PowerPoint presentations with accompanying handouts, like advance planning documents.

You may plan and schedule an engagement through an online request at www.closure.org or by calling Pam Vingle at 412-594-2583. We suggest a 6-8 week advance notice in order to schedule the right speaker for your audience.

November is the month for an important national observance. It’s National Hospice/Palliative Care Month –the perfect time to raise awareness among your patrons about end-of-life issues and advance planning. Thank you for all of the good work that you do in your communities. We look forward to hearing from you.

Contact: Pam Vingle, Project Manager, Jewish Healthcare Foundation
Centre City Tower 650 Smithfield Street, Suite 2400 Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412-594-2583, vingle [at] jhf.org

More about Closure:

Closure is an education, planning and outreach initiative, developed by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, focused improving the end-of-life experience. Its goal is to redefine quality care for people with serious illness by raising expectations and empowering them to seek a different healthcare experience at end of life— one that aligns with their values, beliefs and wishes, as well as their health status. Closure has two key components: Closure Community Conversations, which are designed to launch community dialogues about end-of-life issues and Closure 101, a curriculum of lessons developed to educate consumers and healthcare professionals about end-of-life issues and options.

The facilitated conversations include an initial overview of issues at the end of life, a clergy-led discussion of the influence of religion on end-of-life decisions, a two-part exploration of local tools and resources for advance planning, a candid conversation about individuals’ good and bad experiences at end- of- life, and a final session wherein participants develop a strategy/action plan for their community. 

The Closure 101 modules cover twelve topics about serious illness and advance planning from the moment of diagnosis to grief and bereavement. The lessons were written by experts in easy to understand language for consumers.  The lessons are available on www.closure.org   in audio or readable formats.  Site visitors complete an online assessment that directs them to the modules that will be most helpful to them.  Organizations may schedule a lesson or a series of lessons through the Closure Speakers’ Bureau. How-To Guides will soon be available to implement Closure Community Conversations or Closure 101 in communities across the country.