The Community Health Improvement Network will host a lunch and learn event focusing on end-of-life care May 13 at noon at NorthPark Church.

 

CHIN President Beverly Knox said the event will help attendees answer difficult questions and understand what is needed to set themselves up for end-of-life care.

 

“Who will make final decisions if your health fails, and you can not make them yourself,” she said. “These hard conversations about end-of-life care will be the subject of our next lunch and learn.”

 

DeVon Pruitt, a fiduciary planner and the presenter of the lunch and learn, said the discussion will cover a variety of topics including wills, hospice and more.

 

“We have found the most difficult questions about life come at the end of life,” he said. “Questions concerning living wills, a medical power of attorney, designating a healthcare agent, and hospice care resources will be discussed at this event.”

 

Lunch and learn events are intended to facilitate hard conversations and open dialogue between healthcare professionals and local residents, Knox said. With each event highlighting a specific topic, CHIN looks to educate the community so local residents can make informed decisions about their health.

 

“Our lunch and learns inform and educate our community. CHIN sponsors this event in partnership with Meridian area organizations, churches, and hospitals to create a safe space for the dialogue between community residents and medical professionals.”

 

Residents planning to attend the lunch and learn are asked to RSVP by May 9.

 

The CHIN Mission is to facilitate collaboration among community and provider partners to create joint programs and cooperative ventures that improve and sustain healthcare access and quality delivery, especially for underserved and underprivileged populations in Lauderdale County and the surrounding area. Initiated in 2016, CHIN, a rural health network, has recently merged with The Montgomery Institute. As a result, the Institute is taking on the CHIN mission to coordinate the community’s response to healthcare needs identified by community health assessments performed by hospitals and other organizations in Lauderdale County.

 

Current CHIN partners include Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center, Alliance Health Center, City of Meridian, East Central Healthnet, East Mississippi Business Development Corporation, Greater Meridian Health Clinic, MS State Department of Health, Meridian Community College, Meridian Housing Authority, Mississippi State University-Meridian, Ochsner Rush Health, The Free Clinic of Meridian, The Phil Hardin Foundation, and Weems Community Mental Health.