For Immediate Release

Contact:
NJHA:  Jo Ann Morgano  609-936-2199
U.S. Living Will Registry:  Joan Civile  908-654-1441
joan@uslivingwillregistry.com

NEW JERSEY HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION PARTNERS WITH U.S. LIVING WILL REGISTRY TO HELP HOSPITALS MANAGE ADVANCE DIRECTIVES

Westfield, NJ (November 24, 2003) – The New Jersey Hospital Association has signed an agreement with the U.S. Living Will Registry that will allow member hospitals to utilize the Registry’s advance directive management service at discounted rates.

The U.S. Living Will Registry electronically stores advance directives, and makes them available to health care providers by Internet or fax.  This allows hospitals and health systems to outsource the storage of these documents, and provides access to them quickly and easily.  Documents registered by one facility in a health system can be accessed by all other facilities in that system.

Federal and state laws place the burden of managing advance directives on health care providers.  Finding a way to efficiently store and retrieve these documents, and share them with other facilities within the same health system, has been an ongoing problem for hospitals.

Commonly known as living wills or health care proxies, advance directives allow people to make choices about their care when they are unable to speak for themselves. 

“We provide a cost-effective solution to the problem of managing advance directives, and at the same time, help hospitals comply with government regulations,” said Dr. Joseph Barmakian, founder and president of the Registry.  “Having these important documents available from a central location prevents the kind of problem that is currently in the Florida courts, where there is no advance directive available and family members disagree on treatment for their loved one,” continued Barmakian.

The New Jersey Hospital Association will market the Registry’s services to its 107 member hospitals.  NJHA President Gary Carter comments,  "NJHA has long been active in bioethics issues. In fact, the Association was a key participant when the state's Advance Directives for Health Care Act was signed into law in 1991. That commitment continues today, with NJHA and its member hospitals continuing to support the value of advance directives. This valuable service will help individuals plan ahead and control their health care decisions, while at the same time making it easier for health care providers to ensure that those wishes are carried out."

As New Jersey’s premier statewide health care association, NJHA is a leader in advocacy, education and information. It partners with its 107 members so that they can better provide accessible, affordable and quality health care.

The U.S. Living Will Registry is a leading provider of advance directive and organ donor registry services nationwide.  For more information, visit www.uslivingwillregistry.com.