National POLST

12/30/2025

Did you know that nearly every state has an active POLST program?

Our national map shows where providers and leaders are making serious illness conversations more accessible across the country. Almost all states are working to grow adoption of POLST as a way to help patients, families and clinicians dealing with serious progressive illness and/or frailty. This map provides an easy way to access the website for POLST in your state or to contact your state leaders. Each state's program is responsible for selecting the name of the form and the organization that oversees POLST within its borders.

Check out the POLST information in your state: https://polst.org/programs-in-your-state/

12/27/2025

Talking about serious illness care isn’t easy, but clear, consistent messaging can make a meaningful difference.

National POLST Collaborative wants to highlight the Serious Illness Messaging Toolkit. This Toolkit helps healthcare professionals communicate more effectively with patients and families by offering ready-to-use language, graphics, and charts that explain serious illness care in a clear and compassionate way.

Toolkit Benefits:
Easy-to-understand, standardized messaging
Visual tools that support patient and family understanding
Ready for public use—no extra design or writing needed
Helps build trust and shared understanding around care decisions

Explore the toolkit here: https://seriousillnessmessaging.org

12/23/2025

Happy Holidays from POLST!

We’re grateful for the healthcare professionals, caregivers, and community partners who make it possible for patients’ wishes to be heard and honored.

Wishing you a season of peace, gratitude, and hope.

12/19/2025

The holiday season often brings families together to celebrate traditions and create memories.

It can also be a good time to talk about health care planning: sharing what matters most to us, listening to one another’s wishes, and supporting the people we love. These conversations don’t need to be heavy or urgent. They can begin with care and respect, and will evolve over time.

These conversations help ensure that if serious illness ever occurs, care reflects a person’s values and goals.

12/04/2025

A timely and important read from the AMA’s What Doctors Wish Patients Knew series — featuring Dr. Susan Nelson, Board President of the National POLST Collaborative.

In this new article, Dr. Nelson explains what patients and families need to know about advance directives, POLST, and end-of-life care planning. Her insights highlight why these conversations matter long before a crisis, and how documenting your wishes ensures that care aligns with your goals, values, and priorities.

This story arrives at the perfect moment, as many families gather for the holidays — a natural opportunity to begin these conversations.

Read the full article:
https://www.ama-assn.org/public-health/population-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-end-life-care-planning

Susan E. Nelson, MD, of Ochsner Health, explains how advance directives ensure care reflects patients’ wishes and ease decision-making for loved ones.

12/02/2025

This , help us honor the wishes of people living with serious illness or frailty.

POLST is more than a form — it’s a conversation, a process, and a portable medical order that ensures a person’s treatment aligns with what they truly want.

Your gift today supports education, clarity, and a voice for families and clinicians across the country.

👉 Donate here: https://one.bidpal.net/polst/browse/donation(details:item/3)

11/29/2025

As we get closer to Giving Tuesday, we’re reflecting on why POLST matters so deeply.

For people living with serious illness or frailty, having their wishes clearly understood can change everything.

POLST helps turn those wishes into portable medical orders — ensuring care teams know exactly what matters most, wherever treatment happens.

This Saturday, we invite you to learn more, share with someone who may benefit, and help us spread the word ahead of Giving Tuesday.

Together, we can bring clarity, dignity, and compassion to serious illness care.
👉 Donate today: https://one.bidpal.net/polst/browse/donation(details:item/3)

11/20/2025

November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month—a time to honor
compassionate care and reaffirm our commitment to improving quality of life for
those with serious illness. From the perspective of the National POLST Collaborative, this month is a powerful reminder of how shared decision-making and advance care planning can transform the patient experience.

Each November, we celebrate National Hospice and Palliative Care Month to recognize
the clinicians, caregivers, and advocates who ensure that patients facing serious illness
receive care that honors their values, preferences, and dignity. This year’s theme, “We
See the Whole You,” resonates deeply with the mission of the National POLST
Collaborative—a coalition dedicated to improving person-centered care through the use
of Portable Medical Orders that reflect patients’ treatment goals across care settings.
POLST (a set of portable medical orders) is not just a form—it’s a process. It begins
with meaningful conversations between patients, families, and healthcare professionals
about what matters most in the face of serious illness. These conversations lead to
actionable medical orders that guide emergency and long-term care teams, ensuring
that treatment aligns with the patient’s wishes.

Hospice and palliative care are built on the principles of comfort, dignity, and respect.
POLST complements these principles by:
 Empowering patients to make informed decisions about life-sustaining
treatments.
 Reducing unwanted interventions that may not align with a patient’s goals or
values.
 Improving continuity of care across hospitals, nursing homes, and home
settings.
 Supporting clinicians with clear, legally recognized guidance that honors
patient autonomy.
As the population ages and the prevalence of chronic and serious illness grows, the
need for coordinated values-based care becomes more urgent. POLST helps bridge
the gap between patient preferences and clinical practice, especially in moments when
patients cannot speak for themselves.

The National POLST Collaborative is committed to expanding access to POLST
conversations and forms, especially among underserved communities. This includes:
 Developing culturally sensitive materials that reflect diverse values and
beliefs.
 Training clinicians in communication strategies that foster trust and
understanding.
 Promoting digital POLST registries to ensure forms are accessible when
needed most.

We believe that every person—regardless of background, diagnosis, or
setting—deserves care that reflects who they are and what they want. November is more than a month of recognition—it’s a call to action. By integrating POLST into hospice and palliative care, we move closer to a healthcare system that sees, hears, and honors the whole person.
For more information, visit polst.org and join us in shaping a future where every
patient’s voice guides their care. The Conversation ProjectNational Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD)National Alliance for Care at HomeRespecting ChoicesLouisiana-Mississippi Hospice & Palliative Care OrganizationCenter for Practical BioethicsPrepare for Your CareOchsner HealthKY MOST CoalitionNew York MOLSTArizona POLSTFlorida POLST

04/16/2025

National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD.org) is April 16. It’s a day to encourage everyone to make sure their family and healthcare providers know their healthcare wishes if they suddenly became too ill to make decisions for themselves. By planning ahead, you can make sure you get the care you want and that your loved ones don’t have to guess what you would want if you are unable to speak for yourself.
It’s not just for older people. Sudden illness can happen any time to anyone!
Identify the key people in your life and make sure they know what Matters Most to you-then put it in writing! It is ok if you don’t know exactly what you want but naming a person/persons who can speak for you is gift you give your family.
There are many resources available to help with these important documents including National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD)Respecting ChoicesPrepare for Your CareThe Conversation ProjectCenter for Practical BioethicsLouisiana-Mississippi Hospice & Palliative Care OrganizationNational Alliance for Care at Home
Illness can happen to anyone, at any age, and it’s impossible to predict. Having a plan in place, even if you’re healthy now, can help make sure you get the care you want if something unexpected happens.

06/27/2024

Conversations do change lives!