HR 9039

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

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