Don't wait to 'Choose Your Person'

Lovin' Life
February 2024
by Lin Sue Flood

All adults should pick a health care advocate

National research shows that only about a third of Americans have created a living will or advance health care directive.

Most of us have not put our medical deci-sions in writing or even discussed them with doctors or family members. If there’s a medical emergency and we cannot communicate, how will anyone know what our wishes are?

Three nonprofit organizations — Mercy Care, Hospice of the Valley and Contexture — are launching a community education campaign to ensure that Arizonans’ wishes are honored.

Choose Your Person is an awareness cam-paign urging all adults to choose someone to be their health care power of attorney. Wheth-er it’s a sibling, spouse or best friend, this per-son is entrusted with following your directives. Health care professionals recommend doing this now, before there is a serious medical con-dition or accident.

“Taking that first step can be empowering. It prompts those important conversations about end-of-life care with your loved ones and doctors,” says Melissa Kotrys, CEO of Contexture, the leading health information exchange in Arizona.

“We’re excited to partner on this new ini-tiative to help more people with advance care planning,” says Debbie Shumway, executive director of Hospice of the Valley. “Families who make these decisions together have peace of mind because they know exactly what their loved ones want.”

Hospice of the Valley and Contexture are hosting free workshops to help people com-plete their advance directives — engaging their combined network of health care pro-viders, long-term care facilities, faith commu-nities, community-based organizations, civic groups, colleges and businesses.

The campaign focuses on all adults — young and old, healthy as well as sick — with a special focus on those living with dementia and underserved communities less likely to discuss advance care planning.

Once complete, health care documents can be easily uploaded to the Arizona Health Care Directives Registry. This secure site allows physicians and family members to instant-ly access them in times of need. There’s no rummaging through drawers or files to locate papers in an emergency.

“We want Arizona residents to understand the value of health care providers having ac-cess to your end-of-life wishes in real time, at the point of care,” says Lorry Bottrill, CEO of Mercy Care, which is funding the campaign through a grant.

If your organization or business would like to schedule a workshop, please email chooseyourperson@contexture.org. 

Visit www.chooseyourperson.org to learn more.