In a time of partisan rancor and legislative gridlock and a presidential election cycle none of us will soon forget, would you be surprised to know there is a bill with genuine bipartisan support?

And what if that bill was all about expanding access to high quality palliative care for patients like ours? Would you be intrigued?

And if the bill created palliative care education centers for health professionals, career incentive awards for health professionals entering the field of palliative care, including social workers, new research opportunities in palliative care, and a national awareness campaign to inform patients, families, and health professionals about the benefits of palliative care? Would you be speed dialing your Congressional representatives?

Believe it or not, it’s true. Remember this acronym—PCHETA—because this won’t be the last time you hear it. PCHETA stands for Palliative Care & Hospice Education and Training Act. As one of more than three dozen member organizations of the Patient Quality of Life Coalition (PQLC), AOSW has been supporting the advancement of this bill over the last three years. Formed in 2013 to advance the interests of people with serious illness, PQLC promotes public policy that will improve and expand access to high quality palliative care. The coalition pursues both legislative and regulatory opportunities to improve and expand palliative care in the United States.

Over the past three years, PQLC has made tremendous progress in advancing PCHETA. There are now 191 co-sponsors (113 Democrats, 78 Republicans) in the House of Representatives, as well as seven supporters in the Senate (4 Democrats, 3 Republicans). In September, the House Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee held a hearing on PCHETA, along with several other bills focused on improving public health. This is a sign of real momentum for PCHETA, and PQLC has continued strategic advocacy efforts to move it forward, even during the lame duck period after the election. When the 115th Congress begins in January, watch for news and announcements about PCHETA—that will be a time when our voices will be needed to keep it moving forward!

Oncology social workers know the value of palliative care, and we know how much room there is for improvement in making high quality palliative care a reality for our patients and families. PCHETA represents a real step forward, thanks to the work of all the organizations collaborating in the PQLC. This is your AOSW membership at work!

View more information about PCHETA and the Patient Quality of Life Coalition.

View the bill summary with co-sponsors.

Use this tool to write to your own congressional representatives in support of PCHETA.

Your AOSW Advocacy Committee will keep you posted about the progress of PCHETA in the coming months. You will find information and updates on the AOSW website, or reach out to me directly if you’d like to take a more direct role.