Quincy Medical Group to host event on July 9 to help people understand advance care planning

QUINCY — Quincy Medical Group (QMG) will join a nationwide project and host a community game event at 5:30 p.m. on Wedneday, July 9, at First Baptist Church, 739 N. Eighth, to engage communities in important conversations about medical decision making.

The event, featuring the conversation game Hello, will provide information about how to prepare for future decisions about serious and critical health issues.

In a press release, Shari Robesky, social worker and behavioral health therapist at QMG, said, “This game will help you prepare for situations you may not have considered before. It makes conversations like these much more fun and meaningful,”

The advance care planning topic can be difficult but necessary to discuss. The community game day event will bring people together for an enjoyable discussion about living well and quality end-of-life care.

Participants will receive information about medical decision-making and an advance directive that they may choose to complete. This event is a first step to advance care planning. Every participant will leave prepared to continue the conversation and take important steps to ensure their end-of-life care goals are known.

The Hello events are part of a large, NIH-funded research study led by Lauren Jodi Van Scoy at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center through her research program, Project Talk. Hospice Foundation of America and the University of Kentucky are partners in the project. Participants who opt-in to participate can receive up to $90 in gift cards for their time.

Learning how best to engage communities in activities such as these is crucial to improving access to high-quality care later in life. This event will help local community members have conversations like these moreoften and more easily.

“Whether you’re just starting to think about advance care planning or want to learn more, this event offers something valuable for everyone,” Robesky said.

To RSVP or for questions, call 217-222-6550, ext. 3508, or email srobesky@quincymedgroup.com.