The role requires empathy and openness. As Tastad explains, it’s about being able to “swing into a patient’s space” and meet people wherever they are in their spiritual beliefs.  

That approach has earned him the 2025 Doris A. Howell Award for Advancing Palliative Care from the CSU Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care. 

As chaplain and coordinator of the Advance Care Planning program at Sharp HealthCare, Tastad helps patients and families navigate complex medical decisions with attention to their values, beliefs and goals. His work places him at the intersection of spiritual care, ethics and medicine, both at the bedside and within healthcare systems across San Diego County. 

The award includes a $25,000 gift — funded by The Shiley Foundation and its president Darlene Marcos Shiley — to an organization chosen by the awardee. This year, the gift will support the bereavement department at Sharp HospiceCare.  

Beyond his work with patients and their families, Tastad has been a steady presence in the region’s palliative care community. He has served on hospital bioethics committees and has been active with local and statewide organizations working to expand access to palliative care and advance care planning through public policy, national speaking engagements and community education.  

Tastad was nominated by three leaders in the palliative care field who cited his decades of service, mentorship and leadership. One nominator, Jennifer Moore Ballentine, CEO of the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California, said his philosophy of care reflects a rare blend of humility and presence.

“I can think of no one I would rather have ‘swing into my space’ to offer company, comfort and care in any grief or trouble or, indeed, at the end of my life,” Ballentine said. 

Tastad will receive the award during the welcome reception for the 2026 National Symposium for Academic Palliative Care Education and Research on June 4 at the University Student Union on the Cal State San Marcos campus. 

The Howell award is named after the late Dr. Doris Howell, a legendary physician and pioneer in pediatric hematology, oncology and community medicine who in 1977 founded San Diego Hospice and the Institute for Palliative Medicine.  

The main symposium is June 2-3, with a post-symposium workshop on June 4.

The cost for students is $50 for the June 4 post-symposium workshop, $175 for the main symposium June 2-3 or $225 for both the workshop and main symposium. Breakfast and lunch are included each day.

Early-bird registration rates are also available for faculty and professionals until April 1. The early-bird rates are $100 for the workshop, $425 for the main symposium or $525 for both.

The symposium is a unique and interactive multidisciplinary conference designed to highlight the latest in academic palliative care research, teaching and practice. It is the only event of its kind in the country designed for university faculty, practitioners and researchers focused on advancing palliative care.

Visit the CSU Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care website to register or for more information.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

A pioneer in shaping palliative care across North San Diego County, Panzer is recognized for championing ethical decision-making and enhancing quality of care for patients navigating complex medical decisions. His background includes serving as the chief medical officer at The Elizabeth Hospice and playing a pivotal role in establishing the inpatient palliative care service at Palomar Health. 

The award includes a $25,000 gift in honor of Dr. Doris Howell, funded by The Shiley Foundation, Darlene Marcos Shiley, president. This year, on behalf of Panzer, the gift will benefit The Elizabeth Hospice's bereavement program. 

In addition to his work as a clinician, Panzer cofounded the San Diego Coalition for Compassionate Care, which advocates for advance care planning, palliative care access and caregiver support. He also chairs the San Diego Dementia Consortium, fostering education, professional collaboration and resources for families impacted by dementia. 

Panzer was nominated for the award by Michael McDuffie, associate professor of philosophy at Cal State San Marcos and faculty director of the CSU Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care at CSUSM. 

“The impact of Dr. Panzer’s work in palliative medicine is unparalleled,” McDuffie said. “He has touched countless lives, ensuring that patients and families receive compassionate, patient-centered care during their most vulnerable moments.” 

Panzer’s influence extends deeply into the professional community. A dedicated mentor, he continues to support countless palliative care professionals, offering guidance, expertise and encouragement. Many of his mentees attribute their career success to Panzer’s thoughtful and generous mentorship. 

Panzer will receive the award at a reception on April 16 from 5-7 p.m. at the McMahan House on CSUSM's campus. 

The Howell award is named after the late Dr. Doris Howell, a legendary physician and pioneer in pediatric hematology, oncology and community medicine who in 1977 founded San Diego Hospice and the Institute for Palliative Medicine (SDHIPM). 

For more information about the institute or the Howell award, visit csupalliativecare.org. 

The one-hour self-paced course gives nurses and future nurses in any health care setting an overview of palliative care, as well as strategies to talk with patients and families about palliative care, help them identify health care goals, and start advance care planning.

Nurses and other health care professionals can sign up here to receive the free course promo code. Those who complete the course will earn one continuing education (CE) credit.

Palliative care is an extra level of support for people with serious or life-limiting illnesses. It focuses on managing pain, nausea, anxiety and other physical, emotional and spiritual symptoms common in serious illness, so patients and families can live their best lives possible.

For more information about the institute’s online palliative care courses, visit csupalliativecare.org or call 760-750-4006.

It’s a vital and challenging mission, even absent a coronavirus pandemic, economic crises, and shifts in federal health care policy. Yet the foundation continues to focus on having meaningful, measurable impact across the state.

Through grantmaking, research, and thought leadership, CHCF is moving the needle on several fronts, including helping to make high-quality serious illness care and end-of-life care more accessible to all who need it.

That movement is illustrated by the foundation’s support of the CSU Shiley Institute for Palliative Care, headquartered at Cal State San Marcos. The institute creates and delivers online and in-person education to help health professionals build specialized skills to relieve suffering and enhance quality of life for people with serious illnesses and those who care for them.

CHCF helped to launch the institute in 2012 and has continued to invest in its educational programs through grants totaling $1.95 million. Over the past eight years, the institute has trained more than 20,000 health professionals in palliative care and reached more than 25,000 students through education and awareness campaigns led by its campus partners.

CHCF has been integral to that success, said the institute’s Executive Director Jennifer Moore Ballentine.

“From the beginning, the California Health Care Foundation has been an engaged and extremely supportive partner,” Ballentine said. “Not only have they provided significant funding, but they have been a valuable thought partner, collaborator, and promoter in our mutual mission of advancing palliative care.”

Palliative care is whole-person, patient-centered care designed to ease suffering and improve quality of life for people with serious illnesses. It’s “what we would all want health care to be,” said Kate Meyers, MPP, Senior Program Officer for High-Value Care at CHCF.

“We all want health care providers to look at us as people with lives that exist outside of the health care system, instead of as a collection of diagnoses,” Meyers said. “We want care that will help us live our best lives as we face a serious illness.”

Meyers noted that CHCF’s initial investment in the institute was a recognition that, if California was going to meet the growing need for palliative care services, it needed a source of education, expertise and support for the clinicians who would provide those services.

As the institute has grown, CHCF has helped it identify and fund new educational programs on topics such as primary palliative care skills, care management, and telemedicine – all critical to expanding access to care for vulnerable populations, Meyers said.

Primary palliative care skills – basic skills for clinicians without advanced training in palliative care – are particularly important because, as the population ages, more people will be diagnosed with serious illnesses. Health professionals in primary care practices, clinics, and other settings must be prepared to care for them.

“It’s long been known that there aren't and won't ever be enough palliative care specialists – physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and others – to meet the growing need for palliative care,” Meyers said.

That’s a problem because palliative care skills such as communication, advance care planning, psychosocial aspects of care, and care at the end of life aren’t adequately addressed in medical school or training programs for other disciplines, she said.

“We expect these clinicians to emerge from their training equipped to do something they're not trained to do,” Meyers said. “They don't get nearly enough training in essential areas like pain and symptom management in progressive illness, having difficult conversations with patients and families, and addressing complex emotional issues.”

Weaving palliative care education into pre-professional training is critical. In 2019, CHCF helped fund a collaboration between the institute and its campus partners at Cal State San Marcos, Fresno State, and Cal State Monterey Bay to create a faculty toolkit with teaching and learning resources that can be incorporated into any classroom.

Twenty faculty members at the three campuses piloted the toolkit, reaching a total of 1,170 students in disciplines including nursing, social work, psychology, and gerontology. The institute is now working to make the toolkit more widely available across the CSU.

“The toolkit is a rich opportunity to collaborate with CSU colleagues to expand palliative care education across disciplines in undergraduate and graduate education,” said Pamela Kohlbry, RN, Ph.D., Director of University Relations and Research for the institute. “I’m so grateful to CHCF for supporting this important and inspiring work.”

The foundation continues to support other palliative care education, research, and quality initiatives across the state. In addition to the institute, CHCF has funded programs through the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California, the Palliative Care Quality Network at UC San Francisco, and many others including California’s public hospitals and a variety of health plans and community-based palliative care provider organizations.

Meyers said although access to palliative care has improved greatly in California and around the country, “it’s not enough. There’s still a long way to go to make sure all people with serious illness receive the kind of support that can help them live their best lives,” she said.

To learn more about CHCF’s work in palliative care, visit www.chcf.org/topic/serious-illness-end-of-life-care/.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The 90-minute training sessions are offered at 1 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month. Sign up at the SDCCC website by the Friday before a session.

“This project makes a positive impact on our community by providing future and current health care professionals with knowledge and training directly related to palliative care and advance care planning,” said Michael McDuffie, Faculty Director of the CSU Shiley Institute for Palliative Care at CSUSM. “In response to the pandemic, we’re doing our part to pivot toward an online world of distanced communication. Our training directly supports our initiative to implement telehealth advance care planning in local nursing homes, and it’s gratifying to know that a growing number of families have already done some important planning, with good support, thanks to our growing project.”

The training webinar helps attendees learn more about Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST), including:

• How to have a skillful POLST conversation;
• How to properly complete the POLST document;
• How to store and retrieve the POLST document utilizing the community ePOLST registry; and
• Current POLST updates and policy.

One free Continuing Education Unit (CEU) will be provided for eligible RN’s, upon completion of the course post survey.

The webinar series was launched at the invitation of the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California (CCCC) and complements a project being piloted through a collaboration between the CSU Shiley Institute for Palliative Care at CSUSM, the CCCC and SDCCC using telehealth technologies to conduct advance care planning conversations during the pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic makes it very important for patients and families to think about unexpected health care needs and discuss the sorts of medical treatments that are wanted or unwanted; however, social distancing and infection control measures make it hard for nursing home residents to have these discussions, especially with educational support from trained professionals,” McDuffie said.

“Our project explores the feasibility of having advance care planning discussions via telehealth technologies, using Zoom or similar platforms to connect patients, families and patient education specialists. Through telehealth conferences, patients receive educational support to update or complete a new set of POLST form, preparing them for additional consultation with their medical providers. Our project also includes an educational component for future health care professionals: Graduate students in health-related fields complete an online orientation session and then are invited, with patient/family permission, to observe the conference and gain firsthand exposure to the conversational skills and knowledge necessary for this sort of patient education.”

But the 2019 Gala on June 8 was unlike any other.

A special evening to celebrate the legacy of President Karen Haynes and First Gentleman Jim Mickelson was capped by the announcement that philanthropist Darlene Marcos Shiley has donated $2.6 million to the CSU Institute for Palliative Care, which is being renamed the Shiley CSU Institute for Palliative Care.

The event raised a record $264,200 during the annual Raise the Paddle to support student access and success initiatives. While Raise the Paddle typically signals the end of the formal program, Cathy Baur, vice president for University Advancement, returned to the podium to announce one more gift.

“For decades, Darlene and her late husband Donald have been generous philanthropists, not only in our region but nationally,” Baur told more than 500 attendees.

“In 2012, when Darlene learned that Cal State San Marcos would be the home for the CSU Institute for Palliative Care, she applauded President Haynes for taking on a project that was smart, compassionate and greatly needed. At the Institute’s launch event in September of that year, Darlene caught everyone by surprise when she announced an unexpected $1.2 million gift for the Institute. Three years later, seeing the enormous impact of the Institute, she donated an additional $1.8 million.

“Tonight, Darlene has outdone herself once again.”

Haynes, CSUSM’s third and longest-serving president, will step down on June 30 after a 15½-year tenure. Also retiring that day is Mickelson, the founder and director of ACE Scholars Services, CSUSM’s innovative program to help former foster youth.

Numerous dignitaries – from elected officials to current and former university presidents – attended Haynes’ final CSUSM Gala. Multiple tribute videos were shown, including one about the "The Love of Two Social Workers" and one focused on their legacy at CSUSM.

“Saying goodbye to a retiring president is never easy, but it’s especially difficult in Karen’s case,” CSU Chancellor Timothy White told attendees. “Many of you may know that she has held the title of Cal State’s senior president since 2016. Her wise, courageous and compassionate counsel has helped make all of the Cal State presidents stronger leaders. Indeed, Karen’s legacy extends far beyond the San Marcos campus; the CSU is a stronger institution for her service.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Barely one in four Americans has crafted an advanced directive detailing what actions should or should not be taken for their health if they are no longer able to make a decision for themselves. Perhaps even more alarming, less than 11 percent of college students have written an advanced directive.

That’s why this spring’s “What Gives Your Life Meaning? (And Who Needs to Know?)” series of events from April 3-19 – sponsored by the California State University Institute for Palliative Care

in partnership with Cal State San Marcos students and faculty – is focused on discussing the importance of aligning healthcare decisions with an individual’s values before they become incapacitated.

“Advanced directives are one way to share what is important to a person and to share what gives our lives meaning,” said Dr. Sharon Hamill, a CSUSM professor of psychology who also serves as the Institute for Palliative Care’s faculty director at CSUSM. “Advanced directives include designating a healthcare advocate and creating a living will that details what kind of medical interventions a person would want. Our goal is to get the campus community to agree to talk with even one person about what is important to them and to think about who should speak for them in the event they can’t speak for themselves.

“It’s about taking the guesswork out of what we want done.”

Madeline Rayón is convinced. A CSUSM psychology graduate student focusing on psychological studies, Rayón is working with Zakirah Hassan and Kristal Laser, two Master of Public Health interns, on the pledge drive and is also co-leading a group of student volunteers working with Hamill in organizing the events.

“As students, it’s important to remember that we are not immune to having experiences with palliative care,” Rayón said. “But just as important, this is a great opportunity to access resources and information that we can take back to the older adults in our lives, including our parents and our grandparents.”

The series of CSUSM campus-wide events includes:

Tuesday, April 3, noon to 2 p.m.

“Making our Wishes Known: Advance Directives for Faculty and Staff”

This advance directive workshop led by Hamill will help participants understand the importance of creating an advanced directive. RSVP to dheard@csusm.edu

Social & Behavioral Science Building, Room 3219

Thursday, April 12, noon to 1 p.m.

“Think, Talk, Document, Share: Advance Directives for Students”

Who will speak for you if you are unable? Rayón and Hamill will detail the importance of creating an advanced directive for young adults.

University Hall 100

Thursday, April 19, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“WGYLM? Resource Fair and Public Art Project”

A resource fair will include representatives from nearly two dozen agencies presenting information on palliative care and healthcare choices. A public art project will include chalk drawings on the What Gives Your Life Meaning theme.

University Student Union Arcade

Thursday, April 19, 5:30 p.m.

“The Power of Authenticity, Tenacity, and Dreaming Big”

Singer-songwriter, successful author, and cancer survivor Laura Roppé will detail how her experiences underscore the importance of grabbing life with both hands, taking chances, and living your dream.

The McMahan House

Palliative care is aimed at improving the quality of life of and supporting patients with a serious or chronic illness while also assisting families managing the stresses that a potentially deadly illness can bring. The CSU Institute for Palliative Care has had a profound impact not only in the region, but across the nation, since it was launched in 2012 through numerous initiatives that include a series of online courses for healthcare professionals, community seminars, and more.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The CSUSM Faculty Learning Community created the theme to increase awareness about palliative care and the importance of aligning healthcare decisions with personal values. Students, faculty and community members work together to get people thinking and talking about what is meaningful in their lives through a series of campus events and activities.

The following events are free, though some require an RSVP where noted:

___________________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, April 4

Making Our Wishes Known: Advance Care Planning Workshop for CSUSM Employees

Workshop attendees will understand Advance Care Planning and learn the step-by-step process; learn the value of planning to best navigate the healthcare system; discover how planning ensures quality of life and that one’s wishes are honored; and walk through the “5 Wishes,” a tool for planning and documenting one’s wishes.

Who: For CSUSM faculty, staff, administrators and retirees

Time: Noon-2 p.m.

Where: SBSB 4117

RSVP: llipsey@csusm.edu

___________________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, April 11

Eldercare Housing and Placement Workshop for CSUSM Employees

Workshop attendees will understand San Diego County’s different types of housing options for seniors and in-home support options; walk through the steps of making the placement decision, determining what is most important for you and create a personal checklist; learn how to do your own quality check by gathering information from Licensing, County of San Diego AIS Ombudsman Program; discover tools, tips and community resources that can make this life transition go more smoothly for your loved one, including ongoing interactions with their Caregivers, the Director of Care and Administrators.

Who: For CSUSM faculty, staff, administrators and retirees

Time: Noon-1 p.m.

Where: SBSB 3219

RSVP: llipsey@csusm.edu

___________________________________________________________________________________

Thursday, April 13

Exploring Palliative Care with Dr. Brian de Vries

Dr. Brian de Vries, Professor of Gerontology at San Francisco State University, will speak on LGBT & Later Life: Health Disparities, End of Life Care, Stigma, Discrimination and Resilience. Students should check with their professor about earning extra credit and remember to sign-in at the event.

Who: Open to all CSUSM faculty, staff, administrators, retirees, students and the community

Time: Noon-12:50 p.m.

Where: ACD 102

Information: Contact Lisa Lipsey at llipsey@csusm.edu

___________________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, April 18

Think, Talk, Document, Share: Advance Directives for Students

Dr. Sharon Hamill, faculty director for the CSU Institute for Palliative Care at CSUSM, and CSUSM psychological sciences graduate student Madeline Rayón will demonstrate the importance of identifying what is important to students and providing this information in an Advance Directive. Students should check with their professor about earning extra credit and remember to sign-in at the event.

Who: Open to all CSUSM students and campus community

Time: Noon-12:50 p.m.

Where: ACD 102

Information: Contact Lisa Lipsey at llipsey@csusm.edu

___________________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, April 25

Resource Fair & Community Chalk Art Project: #WGYLM U-Hour Fair

Join the conversation, create art, gather local resources and reflect on #WGYLM. There will be a swag giveaway, craft activities, snacks, photos with Crash and resources and information. There will also be free skin cancer screenings and an interactive chalk art exhibit.

Who: Open to all CSUSM faculty, staff, administrators, retirees, students and the community

Time: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Where: USU Plaza

Information: Contact Lisa Lipsey at llipsey@csusm.edu

___________________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, April 25

Exploring Palliative Care with Local Author Rhonda Hayes Curtis

Rhonda Hayes Curtis promised to give her 35-year-old dying daughter, Sherry, anything she wanted. When Sherry requested that her mother sign up for a dating site, Rhonda was panic-struck. What would people think? Only nine months earlier, Rhonda’s husband, Greg, had died from cancer. Keeping her promise, Rhonda acquiesced to Sherry’s wish. Together they completed a dating profile. Weeks later, Rhonda was immersed in two worlds: the exhilaration of falling in love and the despair of watching her daughter die. “Love at the Last Minute” is a memoir about finding courage, acceptance and love.

Who: Open to all CSUSM faculty, staff, administrators, retirees, students and the community

Time: 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.; there will be a “Swag Grab” at 5:30, followed by an Author Talk and Q&A at 6 and a book signing and dessert reception at 7:30. Bring a brown-bag dinner if you like and plan to stay for dessert and coffee after Rhonda’s talk.

Where: The McMahan House (complimentary parking in Lot B)

RSVP: www.csusm.edu/go/rhonda

Helen B. McNeal, executive director of the Institute, was joined by Cal State San Marcos President Karen Haynes and philanthropist Darlene Shiley for a ceremonial ribbon cutting as dozens of guests helped to celebrate the official opening of the Institute’s new facility on CSUSM’s campus.

“Palliative care is the answer to changing the journey of serious and chronic illness that so many of us will face — and change it for the better,” Haynes told attendees. “I am pleased that one of the important forces for making this change a reality has its home here at Cal State San Marcos.”

Palliative care improves the quality of life for patients and families facing serious or chronic illness using an interdisciplinary team approach.

“Advancing compassionate care and ensuring that everyone has access to the best quality of life through palliative care is essential,” Haynes said. “And we envision a future in which it is readily available to all.”

The festivities also included the inaugural awarding of the Doris A. Howell MD Award for Advancing Palliative Care. The awards were presented to Dr. Daniel R. Hoefer and Suzi K. Johnson of Sharp HealthCare. Hoefer is chief medical officer of outpatient palliative care and associate medical director for Sharp HospiceCare, while Johnson is vice president for Sharp HospiceCare.

“Together, Dan and Suzi have been instrumental in Sharp’s leading edge work in incorporating palliative care across Sharp and in advancing the care of those with serious and chronic illness in San Diego and nationally,” McNeal said.

Four years ago, Shiley surprised attendees and organizers at the launch event for the CSU Institute for Palliative Care with a $1.2 million gift. Shiley, whose contributions in support of the Institute have surpassed $3 million, provided another pleasant surprise at the reception honoring Hoefer and Johnson.

Shiley pledged support to the Institute so that a monetary award will accompany this prestigious award in perpetuity.

“It just seemed like the right thing to do at the right time,” Shiley said. “It’s a great honor for me to do something that would honor Dr. Howell. That’s why I do what I do.”

Howell, who was in attendance at the reception, had a long and distinguished career in medicine and was the driving force in establishing San Diego Hospice and the Institute for Palliative Medicine in the 1970s.

“Her commitment to providing compassionate, dignified, quality palliative and end-of-life care has been unswerving,” McNeal said.

Though the Institute was founded at CSUSM, it has grown to include eight CSU campuses. McNeal said the Howell Award will be presented by all of the Institute’s partner campuses to leaders in their respective communities beginning next year.

“If we might be so bold, we hope one day that this award will be to the palliative care community as the DAISY Award is to nurses nationally,” McNeal said.

McNeal also noted the contributions of Haynes, CSUSM Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services Linda Hawk and the CSU Office of the Chancellor in helping the Institute secure space for a new home on CSUSM’s campus.

“It is gratifying to see what has been accomplished in such a short period of time,” Haynes said.

Visit the Institute website for more information.

“I was fortunate to have CSU and UC professors who invested in me, a first-generation college student,” said the Cal State San Marcos psychology professor who also serves as the faculty director for the CSU Institute for Palliative Care at CSUSM. “It is a gift to be given the opportunity to do the same for others.”

In fact, Hamill embodies CSUSM. She is the former chair of the Cal State San Marcos psychology department, the program director of the University’s new child and adolescent development major, and the faculty director of the CSU Institute for Palliative Care at CSUSM. And she is at the forefront of research into the emotional and psychological impacts on teenagers and young adults who find themselves caring for family members afflicted with deadly diseases.

The recipient of the 2015-16 Harry E. Brakebill Distinguished Professor Award—the highest honor presented at Cal State San Marcos—Hamill is also an active member of the San Diego Coalition for Compassionate Care and the North County Action Network, and she volunteers at the St. Francis Soup Kitchen. Her research led to the development of a Caregivers’ Handbook, which was published by the Work-Life Coalition and Aging and Independence Services.

“The energy, innovation, quality education and commitment to our community exhibited by CSUSM faculty, staff and students can be felt throughout the region because of our activism and engagement with educational institutions (K-12, community colleges, and universities), health care agencies, environmental organizations, and businesses,” said Hamill. “We don't just learn about the world around us, we work collaboratively with our community to make it a better place.”

Although What gives your life meaning? may be a deceptively simple question on the surface, its deeper significance involves understanding and respecting the final wishes of family and friends as they near the end of life.

“The WGYLM campaign provides an opportunity for all of us to step back and think about what makes our lives meaningful,” said Sharon Hamill, professor of psychology and faculty director for CSU Institute for Palliative Care at CSUSM.

“Perhaps equally important, it asks us to consider whether we have let those we love know what is most meaningful to us.”

During the campaign the campus community will be offered valuable information about the ins and outs of palliative care as well as material that can assist people with taking charge of their own medical decisions by developing advance directives. .

“Illness will strike all of us—either personally or through someone we care about,” said Hamill “But none of us want to become our disease. We want to be acknowledged as more than physical beings—as emotional, spiritual individuals who have relationships that are important to us.”

Since illness can occur at anytime it’s important for everyone –including college students—to be educated about the benefits of advance directives and palliative care.

The event series, hosted in partnership with CSUSM faculty, includes a resource fair, art projects, a movie night and several discussions and lectures. The events are designed to stimulate conversation between people to think about their values, health behaviors and healthcare, as well as the question of who would speak for them if they couldn’t speak for themselves.

“This campaign underscores the need to be proactive in all aspects of our lives, including in our decisions about health care,” said Hamill. “WGYLM is about the need to recognize the whole person, and this includes efforts to humanize healthcare. At the heart of it, that is really what Palliative Care is all about.”

Upcoming Events for What Gives Your Life Meaning?:

My Health, My Life, My Choice

Tuesday, April 5 from 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Social and Behavior Sciences Building, 3219

My Health, My Life, My Choice is a workshop to enhance communication around quality of life concerns, and self-advocacy around the area of health care decision-making. The workshop will provide attendees with a better understanding of advance care planning and how it can ensure a better quality of life. Open to faculty and staff. Register through the Employee Training Center.

My Voice, My Choice

Thursday, April 7 from noon to 12:50 p.m.

Academic Hall, 102

This workshop will demonstrate the importance of advance directives not just for the elderly but also for students. Empower yourself and take charge of your life! Facilitated by Sharon Hamill, faculty director for the Institute for Palliative Care at CSUSM.Open to all students, RSVP not required.

Resource Fair and Campus Community Art Project

Thursday, April 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

University Student Union, Arcade

Designed for students, staff and faculty, the WGYLM? Resource Fair will feature information on palliative care including: healing arts, veteran programs, hospice services, grief support and local nonprofit healthcare agencies. Students can make potential connections for volunteer opportunities. There will be a photo booth with Crash, visiting therapy dogs available for petting, colorful chalk drawings and the opportunity to write on the Charity Wings “Before I die, I will make time to create….” Art wall.

Free Movie Night: Being Mortal

Thursday, April 21 at 5:30 p.m.

The McMahan House

A PBS FRONTLINE documentary follows Boston surgeon Atul Gawande as he explores the relationships doctors have with patients who are nearing the end of life. The film investigates the practice of caring for the dying, and shows how doctors are often remarkably untrained, ill suited and uncomfortable talking about chronic illness and death with their patients.

A panel discussion will follow the film. Open to faculty, staff and students. No RSVP required.

The Peace Paper Project

April 25 through 27; during normal business hours

CSUSM Veterans Center

The Peace Paper Project will bring a paper making studio to the Veterans Center for all CSUSM students who wish to attend and meet other students in a creative environment. Students who participate will learn to use an ancient technique to make paper out of a small piece of cloth, followed by a silkscreen process to embed a meaningful image of their choice to show artistic expression.

Now Sharon Hamill has a new title: recipient of the 2015-16 Harry E. Brakebill Distinguished Professor Award—the highest honor presented at Cal State San Marcos.

“Dr. Hamill clearly exemplifies the highest values of Cal State San Marcos and embodies what it means to be a faculty member committed to sustained excellence in teaching, research, enhanced student learning and community service,” said CSUSM President Karen Haynes at a recent award ceremony.

Hamill has left her footprint beyond the CSUSM campus. At Cal State Long Beach, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology, she graduated magna cum laude and earned honors as Most Outstanding Graduate in Psychology. She graduated from UC Irvine with both a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in social ecology, and she has picked up a number of honors at CSUSM since coming here as an assistant professor in 1996, including the President’s Award for Outstanding Service.

She also embodies CSUSM’s mission of working with and for the community. She is an active member of the Coalition for Compassionate Care and the North County Action Network, and she volunteers at the St. Francis Soup Kitchen. Her research in collaboration with Dr. Elisa Grant Vallone led to the development of a caregivers’ handbook, which was published by the Work-Life Coalition and Aging and Independence Services.

“She is a key leader on campus and in our community,” said Veronica Anover, professor of French and Spanish. “Every year she organizes the Because I Care Fair, inviting vendors from the care giving and health care sector, and offering informative talks and free health screening services. I had the privilege to give a talk about healing through writing and I was very impressed by the high number of attendees and the well-organized and informative fair for the community.”

As if that weren’t enough, Hamill co-authored a $70,000 Chargers Champions Grant to renovate the Rancho Buena Vista High School weight room. Working with Drs. Kim Pulvers and Devan Romero, she launched a wellness program at the Vista campus that promotes healthy living while focusing on family caregiving and other responsibilities many students undertake while in high school and how those stressors may contribute to drug and alcohol use.

Hamill’s interest in how serving as a caregiver can impact young adults began early. Her father was a young caregiver for his father, a Pennsylvania coal miner who dropped out of school to take care of his family and later developed health problems related to his work. And her grandmother dropped out of school to take care of an aunt dying of cancer.

“Adolescents and young adults are doing some very significant caregiving tasks, including feeding, bathing, and in some cases even managing finances, and there really hasn’t been much research on how that impacts academic achievement or mental health or drug and alcohol use,” said Hamill. “What we’re seeing is there is a toll that caregiving is taking on young people, but we’re not devoting many resources to address it.”

Teens and young adults comprise 25 percent of caregivers. A 2005 report showed there were 1.4 million youth under the age of 18 who serve as caregivers.

“The number of young people who are serving as caretakers will continue to grow,” said Hamill. “We need to get a handle now on how it’s impacting them and what can be done so they can develop into productive adults.”

Colleagues say Hamill’s greatest strength may be as an instructor, an instructor who has been known to transform her Psychology of Caregiving classroom into a nursing home, outfitting students with glasses to impair their vision and cotton on their ears to diminish their hearing so they could experience first hand what it feels like to get old and to care for someone else who is aged.

Students also actively take part in her research, and Hamill regularly takes them to regional and national conferences each year as co-authors of published manuscripts.

“Sharon Hamill is one of my most trusted mentors, friends and colleagues,” said Psychology Professor Elisa Grant-Vallone. “She is a dedicated teacher, a well-respected scholar in her field, and has incredible insight into dealing with complex situations. She holds herself and others to very high standards, and because of this her opinion is well respected across CSUSM.”

The Brakebill Award has been presented annually at CSUSM since 1997 and is named for Harry E. Brakebill, the financial advisor to the first California State College from 1965 to 1969 who retired after a 37-year career with the CSU as Executive Vice Chancellor. The award is given to faculty on the basis of outstanding contributions to their students, to their academic disciplines, and to their campus communities.

Said Hamill: “I feel deeply honored to have been selected for the award and am extremely grateful to my faculty, staff and administrator colleagues whom I admire very much.”

Honoring a Lifetime of Dedication to Palliative Care

The California Hospice and Palliative Care Association (CHAPCA) named Helen B. McNeal as its 2015 Pierre Salmon Award of Excellence recipient. McNeal, executive director of the California State University Institute for Palliative Care, located at Cal State San Marcos, accepted the award at the CHAPCA Annual Awards Luncheon in Long Beach on November 10.

National Award for Outstanding Older Adult Model Program

CSUSM’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) was presented with the Older Adult Model Program Award from the Association for Continuing Higher Education, Inc. (ACHE) on November 11 for providing outstanding learning opportunities and service to an older population. ACHE was established in 1973 to stimulate, encourage and reward outstanding contributions in the advancement of higher education. The award was presented during the 77th annual conference and meeting in Denver.

A Woman Who Means Business

College of Science and Mathematics Dean Katherine Kantardjieff was a finalist in the San Diego Business Journal’s Woman Who Mean Business Awards, which recognizes the top women business leaders who have made significant contributions to San Diego’s economy, culture and social network. Kantardjieff, who has served as the founding dean of the College since 2011, accepted the award at a ceremony in San Diego on November 18.

Professor Selected for Prestigious Simms/Mann Institute Faculty Fellowship

Kimberly D’Anna-Hernandez, assistant professor of psychology, was one of 13 faculty from the California State University (CSU) chosen for the coveted 2015-2016 Simms/Mann Institute Faculty Fellowship in early childhood care and education. The fellows will participate in a unique professional development opportunity in collaboration with faculty from the California Community Colleges while helping to build the CSU’s early childhood curriculum. They will each spend one year completing a project that translates neuroscience research into practical applications. Additionally, each Faculty Fellow will collaborate with an interdisciplinary cohort of professionals to focus on integrating the latest research into their classrooms.

CSUSM a Top University for Norwegian Students

The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C. reports that the number of Norwegian students pursuing a full degree at U.S. universities in the 2014-2015 academic year was up over previous years. Cal State San Marcos was the fourth most popular university among Norwegian students. Nearly 11 percent of international students studying at CSUSM in fall 2014 came from Norway.

"Through his illness, I experienced exactly what it is that Cal State San Marcos is working toward with its new palliative care institute," she said. "There’s an enormous need for that kind of care, not only for those who are afflicted themselves, but for those of us who care for them."

Darlene and Donald, a couple well-regarded in the San Diego region for their philanthropic support to education, health care and the arts, were married in 1978 and considered themselves truly lucky in love. Years later as Donald’s health began to decline, Darlene was determined to provide the best possible care for him in their home.

"I remember Donald was very specific," she recalled. "He said, ‘If you can keep me with you at home, I know I’d really like that.’ I was careful in selecting palliative care professionals, and when it came to the point where he couldn’t discuss his care, I knew what he wanted, which made all the difference in the world. That’s why we say

to discuss these things with your loved one, because the knowing strengthens you. By knowing what he wanted I could make sure that it happened—I called myself his patient advocate."

Her experience loving and caring for Donald through the end of his life is what led her to surprise attendees and organizers with a $1.2 million gift at the launch event for the CSU Institute for Palliative Care at CSUSM in September 2012. The Institute was founded to address the critical shortage of nursing, social work, spiritual and other professionals with palliative care skills and training while also educating the public about the value of palliative care and how to access it.

"I think that people always assume with the palliative care process that the folks come in and they administer to the person who is not well," she reflected. "In fact there could be two people in the room who are not well—the patient and the one that is caring and loving that person. I didn’t have a very good marriage… I had a stupendous marriage. Losing Donald was very, very hard."

Palliative care uses an interdisciplinary team approach to help patients and their families. Teams typically include a physician, nurse, social worker, pharmacist, chaplain and others as needed.

"One morning a gentleman came in and introduced himself as the massage therapist," recalled Darlene. "I said, ‘That’s very nice but I think my husband is past that point.’ And he said, ‘Oh no, I’m here for you, Mrs. Shiley. You seem a little tense and I thought it might be helpful to you.’ I let him massage my hands and I have to tell you it was a moment of calm in this sea of angst and turmoil…it sounds simple but sometimes the beauty of something is its simplicity."

To date, Darlene has given $3 million in support of the CSU Institute for Palliative Care, which has expanded to seven partner CSU campuses across the state.

"Darlene Shiley’s generous support of the Institute for Palliative Care continues to make a profound difference in our ongoing work to reshape the dialogue on palliative care in our country," said CSUSM President Karen Haynes. "As we offer continuing education courses for working professionals, academic curriculum for today’s students and programs to support palliative care awareness in the community, her support is a torch of leadership, truly making a difference."

The Center for Disease Control estimates that about half of all adults in the United States currently have one or more chronic health conditions. With these numbers expected to rise to 90 percent by 2030, there is a real crisis for palliative care-trained healthcare professionals. CSUSM and the CSU Institute for Palliative Care are on the cutting edge, working to ensure that all who can benefit from palliative care in California can access it. Already the Institute has trained more than 1,100 working professionals, 800 current students and 2,200 community members in the principles of palliative care.

"I’m thrilled to be a part of this, I really am," said Darlene. "I’m very happy with what I see and look forward to seeing even more."

Professors who work closely with the Institute say integrating curriculum from different disciplines—also known as interprofessional education—is common sense. Suzanne Moineau, a speech-language pathologist and chair of the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at CSUSM, is among them.

“Quality of life is a central element of what we’re teaching in speech-language pathology, and palliative care is all about improving quality of life in individuals with chronic illness and their families,” said Moineau. “Most health care professionals at one point or another work with people with chronic conditions, so palliative care is critical.”

Moineau has been supportive of the California State University Institute for Palliative Care since it was established at Cal State San Marcos three years ago, and she served on a planning and implementation committee that took the early lead in planning for activities specific to the CSUSM campus. The Institute is a statewide initiative to educate current and future health care professionals, as well as community members, to ensure that patients who are living with serious or chronic illness and their families have access to palliative care. The California State University Institute for Palliative Care now includes centers at seven CSU campuses.

Palliative care has been shown to extend the life of a patient, improve his or her quality of life and reduce stress on caregivers and families, and Moineau was among the faculty members from four different departments of the College of Education, Health and Human Services at CSUSM who collaborated last year with consultants from the California State University Institute for Palliative Care to pilot, the Palliative Care Interprofessional Experience for Students, an interprofessional education program with a palliative care focus. Using the framework developed by the Institute, over several months, faculty from the School of Nursing and the Departments of Kinesiology, Social Work and Speech Language Pathology developed two palliative case studies based on actual patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and traumatic brain injury.

“At the Institute we rely on faculty to work with us to integrate palliative care interdisciplinary practice into student learning” said Helen McNeal, executive director of the CSU Institute for Palliative Care. “We are grateful to the faculty and students at CSUSM for being the pioneers on this project and for being such dedicated supporters of our work, right from day one.”

Sixteen students then participated in interprofessional team activities, including a problem-based learning component and simulated patient/family interviews. CSUSM faculty and Institute consultants will discuss the project in detail during the Second Annual CSU Palliative Care Symposium scheduled for Oct. 6 and 7 in San Marcos.

Molly Abbott, who graduated from CSUSM last spring, took part in the interprofessional education project. Now she’s a speech pathologist at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla.

“My understanding of palliative care prior to the IPE project was limited,” Abbott said. “I thought palliative care was confined to hospice or end-of-life care. Taking part in the project showed me that palliative care goes far beyond that and is really about improving the quality of life for any patient with any chronic condition. It’s all about comfort care.”

An example of how palliative care works can be found at the CSUSM Speech-Language Clinic where graduate students—under the guidance and supervision of state-licensed and nationally certified speech-language pathologists—are incorporating palliative care in serving people with neurological impairments to improve speech, language and cognitive skills.

Wrote one client in the clinic’s newsletter, The Wave:

“Now, in my third semester of being a client at CSUSM, I am living much more independently than before. I can now cook a meal for myself (healthier and less expensive than always eating out!), and through being aware of how I handle my divided attention, I can accomplish more things. Therefore, I can keep up with the speed of life.”

Forward Together: The Critical Need for Palliative Care

The need for palliative care is reaching critical proportions. By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be over the age of 65, and 90 percent of Americans will have at least one serious or chronic condition. Now, Cal State San Marcos is raising funds through its historic campaign to support the Institute in addressing the critical shortage of nursing, social work, spiritual and other professionals with palliative care skills and training—and to refine the model being developed locally for replication at other interested universities across California.

Sharon Hammill, a CSUSM professor of psychology who serves as faculty director for the CSUS Institute for Palliative Care at Cal State San Marcos emphasizes the case for support.

“We need to focus on educating both the current and future health care workforce so that everyone who needs palliative care will be able to get it,” she said. “By integrating palliative care into the curriculum for health care professionals, in addition to broad-based integration across the curriculum in other disciplines, we are training future doctors, nurses and social workers in palliative care practices, as well as educating consumers of health care services.”

To learn more about Forward Together: The Campaign for California State University San Marcos and how you can help solve critical issues through the CSU Institute for Palliative Care or other initiatives, visit: www.csusm.edu/forwardtogether.

The purpose of the Because I Care Community Resource Fair is to raise awareness of and garner support for individuals who provide care to individuals including children, young adults and aging adults. This year’s theme of “Fit Brains, Healthy Bodies and Happy Lives” highlights the importance of supporting healthy lifestyles for caregivers and those they support.

The fair will include educational workshops, local vendors, health screenings, flu shots, fun activities for children and a prescription drug “Take Back” box. The San Marcos Fire Department, located adjacent to the San Marcos Senior Center, will offer fire station tours, demonstrations and storytime with a firefighter.

Paul Greenwood, San Diego deputy district attorney and head of the Elder Abuse Prosecution Unit, will be the keynote speaker, providing attendees with information on the latest scams that are being used to target seniors as well as practical solutions that elders and their families can use to protect themselves. Other speakers include Hyun Gu Kang from the Cal State San Marcos Department of Kinesiology, Caroline Boaz from Sharp Healthcare, Susan Writer of Aurora Behavioral Health, Diane Beach from the website www.helpmewithmyparent.com and Carlota Durazo from Elizabeth Hospice.

This event is made possible by generous sponsors including The Elizabeth Hospice, The CSU Institute for Palliative Care, The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, BrightStar Care, North County Health Services and Live Well San Diego.

For more information, visit www.csusm.edu/psychology/carefair.html

What: Because I Care Resource Fair – a fun and educational free event for the entire family to learn about services and resources available for caregivers.

When: Saturday, Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: The San Marcos Senior Center, 111 W. Richmar Ave., San Marcos, CA.

Why: To encourage healthy lifestyles for individuals of all ages as well as raise awareness of and garner support for individuals who provide care to family members of all ages.

Additional: For more information, visit: http://www.san-marcos.net/index.aspx?page=226

Led by the California State University Institute for Palliative Care, the What Gives Your Life Meaning? (WGYLM) campaign aims to raise awareness of palliative care and its role in improving the quality of life for patients with serious or chronic illness.

The 10-day event series, hosted in partnership with CSUSM faculty, includes a resource fair, art projects, a movie night and several discussions and lectures.

“It is a way to educate students and the community about palliative care, health care choices in general, and the emotional issues involved,” said Dr. Sharon Hamill, professor of psychology, who also serves as the Institute’s faculty director for the CSUSM campus. “When there is an illness in the family, it’s a family affair. It’s not just about the person who has the illness. Knowing about the resources that are available and knowing about your options is vital. It’s also important for students to be educated about palliative care because illness can strike anybody at any time.”

In Professor Catherine Armas-Matsumoto’s communication course on interviewing, for example, students have been questioning their peers about their thoughts on what gives their lives meaning. Subjects are also asked about advance directives.

“Overwhelmingly, students do not know what an advance directive is,” Armas-Matsumoto said. “When it is explained to them and when they think about it for a few minutes, they realize that maybe this is something they should look into.”

The WGYLM campaign has been months in the making.

“What the faculty at CSUSM are doing with What Gives Your Life Meaning? is creating an exciting experience that will be replicable at other campuses to engage students and the community,” said Helen B. McNeal, who serves as the Institute’s executive director. “And, as usual, CSUSM is raising the bar for how our other partner campuses can engage students and community members. They are helping the Institute achieve our mission and ensuring that everyone understands what palliative care really is and what its benefits are.”

What is Palliative Care?

Since launching in 2012, the California State University Institute for Palliative Care has had a profound impact in both the region and the nation thanks to a number of initiatives, including a series of online courses for hundreds of healthcare professionals who are helping thousands of patients lead more comfortable lives.

But if CSUSM has its way, the best has yet to come.

“We’re just getting started,” Hamill said. “We’re building a comprehensive network within the community to work collaboratively on programs that improve the quality of life, not only for patients, but for their families too.”

Palliative care is an extra layer of support for a person with a serious or chronic illness that focuses on providing patients, and their families, with relief from the symptoms and stress of that illness, improving their quality of life.

What palliative care is not is hospice care, although some palliative care patients are living with an incurable disease. Palliative care has been shown to extend the life of a patient, improve his or her quality of life, and reduce stress on caregivers and families.

The CSU Institute for Palliative Care is a statewide initiative aimed at providing education for current and future health care professionals, as well as community members, ensuring that patients and their families get the benefits of palliative care. A $750,000 grant from the California HealthCare Foundation, a gift of $450,000 from Archstone Foundation, and $1.2 million donation from San Diego philanthropist Darlene Shiley provided initial funding for the Institute that now includes centers at seven CSU campuses.

Cal State San Marcos has been the home of the Institute since its launch and is a vital partner campus. Projects that CSUSM faculty have been involved in creating include:

• Healing Through Art, a program that trains artists and others how to use art to facilitate healing and emotional expression, has been delivered at Camp Pendleton to aid Marines suffering from traumatic brain injuries.

• Inter-professional practice experience for students planning to enter careers in healthcare so that they may learn how to work collaboratively as a team while providing palliative care to patients and their families.

Upcoming Events for What Gives Your Life Meaning?:

The Public Art Project and Resource Fair

Thursday, April 23 at 11:30 a.m.

University Student Union, arcade

The Resource Fair will have 22 agencies presenting information on palliative care and healthcare choices. Topics include palliative care services, hospice, bone marrow, organ donations and more. Students can make potential connections for volunteer opportunities. In addition, colorful chalk drawings will depict responses to “What Gives Your Life Meaning?” and attendees will be encouraged to create an individual reflection on the topic for incorporation into a permanent CSUSM display.

Free Movie Night: Finding Joe

Thursday, April 23 at 5:30 p.m.

The McMahan House

In the early 20th century, while studying world mythology, Joseph Campbell discovered a pattern hidden in every story ever told and he called it “the heroes journey." A truly inspirational film, Finding Joe takes viewers on the ultimate heroes journey: the journey of self-discovery. This movie cleverly echoes the theme of the What Gives Your Life Meaning? campaign.

My Voice, My Choice

Tuesday, April 28 from noon to 12:50 p.m.

Academic Hall, room 102

Caroline Boaz, a registered nurse and School of Nursing faculty member, will demonstrate the importance of advance directives not just for the elderly but also for students. Empower yourself and take charge of your life!

For more information on the WGYLM campaign and the CSU Institute for Palliative Care, located at CSUSM, visit the Institute's webpage.

“I never could understand the approach to medicine that just looks at the one ailing body part and seeks to fix only that one thing,” she said. “The whole body is an interconnected system and I believe that the best quality of care also takes into account the psychological, social and spiritual aspects of healing.”

As an artist, author and designer, Westreich understands the healing power that art and music can play in restoring wellness or improving quality of life, even when a cure is no longer possible. And now through a generous $170,000 gift to the California State University Institute for Palliative Care, located at Cal State San Marcos, she is helping to enhance healing and improve quality of life for more individuals and their families.

“By 2020, 55 million Baby Boomers will be living with one or more chronic conditions in the United States,” said Westreich. “And as the population ages, people are living longer—often with debilitating pain and other symptoms. Palliative care strives to ensure quality of life for all individuals with serious or chronic illness, no matter the circumstances.”

A portion of Westreich’s gift supported the development of in-person and online “Healing through the Arts” training workshops. At these workshops participants learn how to help their patients express themselves through art, enabling them to release painful or unresolved emotions caused by difficult life events, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, trauma or illness.

“Healing through art is different from art therapy because it doesn’t require the assistance of a licensed therapist,” she said. “The healing takes place through the process itself of self-expression and doing something creative—painting, journaling, collaging or drawing. It’s healing by doing.”

This summer, with Westreich’s support, the Institute also will launch an in-person and self-directed online aromatherapy course. Essential oils used in aromatherapy can decrease anxiety, promote relaxation, reduce nausea and lower physical discomfort in patients with chronic pain and/or debilitating injuries.

“Ruth’s generous gift is enabling the Institute to play an increasingly significant role in developing new programs, training new students and expanding access to integrative medicine expertise within the world of palliative care,” said CSU Institute for Palliative Care Director Helen McNeal. “Ruth is a wonderful partner, and we appreciate her spirit of partnership and collaboration.”

Join Ruth Westreich in supporting the CSU Institute for Palliative Care. Call University Advancement at 760.750.4400 or visit www.csusm.edu/giving