HR 9039

1
House Resolution
2A resolution recognizing April 16, 2010, as "Healthcare
3Decisions Day" in Florida.
4
5     WHEREAS, Healthcare Decisions Day is designed to raise
6public awareness of the need to plan ahead for health care
7decisions related to end-of-life care and medical decision-
8making whenever patients are unable to speak for themselves and
9to encourage the specific use of advance directives to
10communicate these important health care decisions, and
11     WHEREAS, the Florida Bar Association provides the specifics
12of Florida's advance directives law and offers a model form for
13patient use, and
14     WHEREAS, it is estimated that only approximately 20 percent
15of Floridians have executed an advance directive and that less
16than 50 percent of severely or terminally ill patients have an
17advance directive, and
18     WHEREAS, it is likely that a significant reason for these
19low percentages is that there is both a lack of public knowledge
20and considerable confusion about advance directives, and
21     WHEREAS, one of the principal goals of Healthcare Decisions
22Day is to encourage hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living
23facilities, continuing care retirement communities, and hospices
24to participate in a statewide effort to provide clear and
25consistent information to the public about advance directives,
26as well as to encourage medical professionals and lawyers to
27volunteer their time and efforts to improve public knowledge and
28increase the number of Floridians with advance directives, and
29     WHEREAS, other organizations throughout Florida are
30encouraged to endorse this event and express their commitment to
31educating the public about the importance of discussing health
32care choices and executing advance directives, and
33     WHEREAS, as a result of "Healthcare Decisions Day" in
34Florida, the hope is that more Floridians will have
35conversations about their health care decisions and execute
36advance directives to make their wishes known, and fewer
37families and health care providers will have to struggle with
38making difficult health care decisions in the absence of
39guidance from the patient, NOW, THEREFORE,
40
41Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
42Florida:
43
44     That April 16, 2010, is recognized as "Healthcare Decisions
45Day" in the State of Florida.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.