TIFFIN—Mercy Tiffin Hospital, along with other national, state and community organizations, is leading an effort to highlight the importance of advance health care decision-making — an effort that has culminated in the formal designation of April 16, 2010, as National Health Care Decisions Day.

As a participating organization, Mercy Tiffin is providing information and tools for the public to talk about their wishes with family, friends and health care providers, and execute written advance directives (health care power of attorney and living will) in accordance with Ohio state laws. These resources are available at www.nationalhealthcaredecisionsday.org.

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 16, Mercy Tiffin is welcoming the public to call the pastoral care department at 419-455-7032 to make an appointment to learn more about advance care planning and an opportunity to complete advance directive forms.

“As a result of National Health Care Decisions Day, many more people in our community can be expected to have thoughtful conversations about their health care decisions and complete reliable advance directives to make their wishes known,” says Michael Lutz, palliative care nurse coordinator at Mercy Tiffin Hospital. “Fewer families and health care providers will have to struggle with making difficult health care decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient, and health care providers and facilities will be better equipped to address advance health care planning issues before a crisis and be better able to honor patient wishes when the time comes to do so.”