PBI Announces Act 169 Call-In Course

The Pennsylvania Bar Institute has announced its planned telephone course, entitled "Personal Health Care Decision Making in Pennsylvania: An Analysis of Act 169". The seminar will be conducted in a conference call format on Tuesday, January 16, 2007 from 12:30 Noon to 2:00 PM (EDT). Information about the Seminar is available here.

This is the summary of the planned Seminar:

On November 29th, Governor Rendell signed into law Act 169 of 2006 (formerly SB 628). The Act, which will take effect on January 29, 2007, makes sweeping changes affecting health care powers of attorney and living wills, reauthorizes out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate orders, and -- for the first time -- authorizes actions by health care representatives.

The Act rewrites and replaces Chapter 54 of Title 20 to provide a statutory means for competent adults to control their health care by written instructions, or through health care agents or representatives and requested orders. It also provides for execution and revocation of living wills and health care powers of attorney with health care agents, and authorizes selection and duties of health care representatives in the absence of an agent designation.

During this one and a half (1 1/2) hour Call-In CLE the faculty will:

• Discuss the background of Act 169 (formerly SB 628)
• Provide an overview of the Act, by chapters and in key definitions
• Explore provisions on Advance Care Directives
• Explain authorizations for a Health Care Power of Attorney and actions by a Health Care Agent
• Examine the selection and powers of a Health Care Representative in the absence of an Agent
• Review the procedures for out-of-hospital "Do-Not-Resuscitate" instructions
• Look at changes in the decision making process by agents and health care representatives and oversight of that process
• Consider the role of the new Advisory Committee to the Department of Aging on uniform physician-ordered life sustaining treatment

There will be four presenters during the Seminar:

Neil E. Hendershot, Esq., Goldberg Katzman, P.C., Harrisburg

Barbara J. Holland, Esq., Governor's Office of Health Care Reform, Harrisburg

Harriet F. Withstandley, Esq., Chief Counsel, Pennsylvania Department of Aging, Harrisburg

Robert B. Wolf, Esq., Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore, PC, Pittsburgh

The Seminar format anticipates that each registrant will call -- from any location, using any type of equipment & accessories (landline, mobile, speakerphone, headset, etc.) -- a common conference call number at 12:30 pm (or afterwards) on that date. You could listen to the presentation even while driving, eating, or partying! This format -- new for PBI since October, 2006 -- should allow many busy people to participate.

Lawyers will get one-hour of CLE credit by submitting, within three days after the Seminar, a certification as to participation. This can be mailed, faxed, or submitted by email to PBI, which will process the CLE credit.

Unique to this Telephone Seminar will be a "pilot" initiative by the course planner, working with PBI, to make available on a special website certain case references, forms, press reports, organizational resources, and government postings relating to the subject matter. This online resource will not replace, but will supplement, the written course materials that will be made available to the participants in advance by email in PDF format. That online resource will be maintained by the course planner afterwards, and will remain available to participants after the Seminar concludes. PBI will seek feedback from participants as to this pilot initiative.

Members of any Pennsylvania bar association (whether state or county) may register for $99. Lawyers not members of a PA bar association, all other professionals or workers, and any other interested persons may register for $119. Registration online is available here.

I repeat: You do not have to be a lawyer to participate.

But, if you are interested in participating, you must pre-register. Due to the conference call format, no one will be able to walk into this session impulsively at the last minute.

Update on 12/12/06:

On December 12, 2006, at the request of the presenters, PBI extended the time of the Telephone Seminar one-half hour, for a total of one and a half (1 1/2) hours, from 12:30 to 2:00 P.M. on that same date, January 16, 2007. This is now reflected in PBI's course announcement found online at the same location.

Also, PBI confirmed that registrations for the course could be taken until about 11:30 am on the day of the course, although they do not recommend waiting until then. I do not know if there will be a capacity issue; so register earlier than later to assure a line.

Update on 12/15/06:

Barbara A. Holland, Esq. will also participate as a presenter for the call-in course. She works in the Governor's Office of Health Care Reform. She participated in the "stakeholder" conferences that molded Senate Bill 628 into its final form, which then became Act 169 of 2006.

Update on 01/12/07:

See my subsequent posting on January 12, 2007, entitled Act 169 Course: "In the Can" For a Crowd.