§16-61-1. Purpose and findings.

(a) The purpose of this article is to increase awareness regarding the palliative care services in West Virginia.

(b) The Legislature finds that palliative care access remains a challenge across the state and increasing awareness of the availability of this service will align with many of the state’s goals to improve patients’ health care experience and care quality.

§16-61-2. Definitions.

As used in this article:

“Palliative care” means an interdisciplinary team-based model of care process designed to relieve suffering and improve quality of life for patients and families facing serious, though not necessarily terminal, illness. The care should be available at any stage of illness from birth to advanced age and may be offered simultaneously with disease modifying interventions, including attempts for cure or remission.

“Interdisciplinary team” means a care team comprised of medical and nonmedical disciplines with specialty training or certification in palliative care and may include volunteers and lay workers. This team includes, at a minimum, the following: (1) A physician; (2) an advanced practice registered nurse or a registered nurse; (3) a social worker; and may include (4) a member of the clergy; (5) a counselor; and (6) a consulting pharmacist.

§16-61-3. Development of educational materials and database.

(a) The State Advisory Coalition on Palliative Care, working in conjunction with the Bureau for Public Health, shall develop a work group to create the content of educational materials regarding palliative care for distribution to providers and to the general public. These materials should at a minimum provide an overview of the different models of palliative care services offered throughout the continuum of care and a description of the interdisciplinary team.