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The Better Ending Partnership was founded in 2002 as a nonprofit
community coalition with the vision of helping all persons in
Central Massachusetts live their last days in this life as
comfortably as possible, in the setting of their choice, according
to their expressed wishes, while they and their families are
supported by a caring community.
The Partnership was founded by retired surgeon Dr. H. Brownell
Wheeler of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and civic
leader William Densmore. It included volunteers from health care
facilities, faith groups, the legal profession, social service
agencies and other community members. Established as the Central
Massachusetts Partnership to Improve Care at the End of Life, it
became a nonprofit corporation in 2004 and was renamed the Better
Ending Partnership in 2007.
Volunteer workgroups focused on projects to achieve improved access,
quality and competency in the provision of end of life care in
Central Massachusetts. Projects included hospice and palliative care
services, symptom management, advance care planning, extended care
facilities, and community education. The impetus for this expanded
direction was the SODIUM study, which
looked at end of life care from many aspects.
In 2007, the Partnership was recognized by the Worcester Business
Journal with a "Health Care Hero." In 2003, the Partnership received
a national Award of Excellence from Rallying Points, a Last Acts
program.
In turn, the Partnership was honored to present “Making a
Difference” awards to recognize outstanding contributions by people
and organizations to its mission. Recipients included: 2007 -
Worcester District Medical Society; 2006 – Virginia McDonald, Robert
Sorrenti, MD; 2005 - VNA Care Network, Bill Nay, Joanne Calista,
Shirley Wright; 2004 - Raymond Delisle, Andy Davis, Mary Valliere,
MD.
In June 2009, the Partnership dissolved and handed over its web
resources to this site, maintained by the UMass Memorial Palliative
Care Program, and the distribution of the Guide for a Better
Ending to Commonwealth Medicine.
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