Monday, December 14, noon to 1:30 pm at the Bozeman Library
Gallatin Valley Circle of Compassion (GVCC) invites community members to attend a showing of the documentary Consider the Conversation 2-Stories about Cure, Relief and Comfort, on Monday, December 14, noon to 1:30 pm at the Bozeman Public Library. This Emmy nominated film will be followed by a discussion and refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public.
American medicine’s success at fighting disease and extending life has created a new problem. That is, the vast majority of patients can now expect to die in a place (a hospital or nursing home) and in a way (with increased quantity, but reduced quality, of life) that most wouldn’t choose if only asked. Talking about dying, which is as natural as birth, is now taboo. And, the reality is patients and families are suffering needlessly. It is a problem we never intended to create and one that must be solved, but how?
Produced by Michael Bernhagen and Terry Kaldhusdal, this documentary first premiered on PBS. It explores the effect of American medicine’s success on the patient/doctor relationship and sheds light on the important role communication plays in helping both patient and doctor navigate the murky waters of severe chronic disease. While in production, Michael Bernhagen and Terry Kaldhusdal interviewed physician experts from across the United States. In addition, the producers visited with residents of a Chicago nursing home and were embedded with palliative care teams at Duke University Medical Center and the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics where they interviewed seriously ill patients from a variety of backgrounds and filmed actual patient/doctor conversations as they occurred in real time. To date, the PBS cut of Consider the Conversation 2: Stories about Cure, Relief, and Comfort has aired on 268 public television stations in 40 states, received an Emmy nomination and numerous awards.
This community event is hosted by the nonprofit group Gallatin Valley Circle of Compassion as part of a series of documentary presentations on the subject of death and dying. Gallatin Valley Circle of Compassion is a volunteer group of local community members who are professionally and/or personally touched by the human experience of death and dying. Their mission: “Connecting, educating and supporting our community regarding questions and issues related to death and dying”.
For more information about the documentary showing, please contact Arlene at (406) 223-4707. To learn more about the Gallatin Valley Circle of Compassion and their 5th annual Mountains of Courage conference, “Dialogues with the Living about Death and Dying”, visit www.gallatinvalleycircleofcompassion.org
