Stating that the “rapid expansion” of assisted suicide in the United States is a “cause for deep concern and urgent action,” the CEO of the Catholic Health Association called for greater investment in palliative care.
“We have not invested nearly enough in palliative care,” Sister Mary Haddad wrote in an op-ed published today. “The United States faces a serious shortage of trained palliative care professionals. Access is uneven, with people in rural communities, communities of color and lower-income households far less likely to receive guideline-level care.”
She added:
Coverage policies remain fragmented. And public awareness is startlingly low—the majority of Americans have never heard the term “palliative care.”
These gaps are not inevitable. They are the result of policy choices, funding priorities, and a cultural reluctance to talk honestly about serious illness and death. We can change them.