Providing compassionate, end-of-life care defines the very essence of the universal anthem, 'Do unto others.'
Tampa, FL (PRWEB) January 25, 2011
Dr. Gary McCarragher, a hospice physician and writer, announced today the launch of his new Web site "Hospice - Care for Life" http://www.hospicecareforlife.com. The site offers a wide range of help for the terminally ill, their families and others who provide care and support.
The site is launched just as the United States' new healthcare law goes into effect in the midst of a national debate on the subject. McCarragher is an advocate of patients having voluntary consultations with their physicians to discuss advance care planning, consisting of advance care directives and end-of-life care planning. McCarragher was interviewed by NPR on the subject. His opinion pieces have been featured in the St. Petersburg Times and The Tampa Tribune.
McCarragher, http://www.garymccarragher.com, a native of Canada, is one of the few hospice physicians making himself available to the online public to answer questions about end-of-life care, advance care and grief following the death of a loved one.
"At the Hospice - Care For Life Web site, patients and their families will find a wealth of valuable information touching on all aspects of hospice and palliative care," McCarragher said. "Providing compassionate, humane, end-of-life care defines the very essence of the universal anthem 'do onto others.' If we dare to celebrate the value of human life and the human spirit, then we are duty-bound to each other to humanely administer to the dying. Hospice magnificently embodies these sacrosanct values. For the care and compassion it provides to our dying patients, in their most vulnerable time of life, I believe Hospice is among the most magnificent organizations ever created for humankind."
In addition to special areas dedicated to patients, families, healthcare providers and spiritual advisers, Dr. Gary McCarragher's Hospice - Care for Life site also includes articles from such luminaries as Dr. Ira Byock, author of Dying Well: The Prospect of Growth at the End of Life, who has been featured on CBS' 60 Minutes. There also is an insightful question-and-answer conversation with nationally recognized hospice expert, Dr. David McGrew.
While most of the information is dedicated to helping patients understand their choices of care and focusing on compassionate care through the end of life, the site also includes information for those who are grieving after the death of a loved one and includes a link to a national hospice advocacy network.
McCarragher, a graduate of renowned McGill University, teaches college-level anatomy. He performs in community theater and supports BLOOM Africa, a nonprofit charity supporting orphans.
McCarragher's Web site already has drawn praise from national experts on hospice and palliative care.
"I am delighted to read of your passion and the Web site you are creating. I truly support your efforts. Thank you for all you are doing," said Dr. Ira Byock, past president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, who has appeared on NPR's Talk of the Nation and been quoted in USA Today, among other publications.
Dr. David McGrew, president of Hospice & Palliative Physician Services of HPH Hospice, and a founding member and past president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, said, "In a society characterized as 'death denying,' it is important to help individuals find answers to questions about end-of-life care. I applaud Dr. McCarragher's new Web site for its mission to connect patients and their caregivers with helpful information and compassionate support networks."
In addition to his medical career, McCarragher is working on a novel involving a physician who faces a crisis that threatens to end his career and jeopardize his personal relationships. Excerpts of the forthcoming novel are available on YouTube.
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Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Physician-author Gary McCarragher Launches Site to Promote End-of-Life Care and Offers Video Support for Terminally Ill and Their Caregivers
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