(KINSTON, NC) – UNC Lenoir Health Care, along with other national, state and community organizations, are leading a massive effort to highlight the importance of advance healthcare decision-making—an effort that has culminated in the formal designation of April 16 as National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD). As a participating organization, UNC Lenoir Health Care is providing information and tools for the public to talk about their wishes with family, friends and healthcare providers, and execute written advance directives (healthcare power of attorney and living will) in accordance with North Carolina state laws.  

Specifically, on April 16, from 8:00AM-10:00AM at the UNC Lenoir Health Care Cancer Center and 10:00AM-12:00 noon in the main lobby of UNC Lenoir Health Care, UNC Lenoir is welcoming the public throughout the day with free information about advance care planning and advance directive forms. Trained UNC Lenoir staff will be available to answer questions about advance care planning and help facilitate conversation about health care decision-making.

“As a result of National Healthcare Decisions Day, many more people in our community can be expected to have thoughtful conversations about their healthcare decisions and complete reliable advance directives to make their wishes known,” said Elizabeth Noel, MSW, LCSW, clinical counselor at UNC Lenoir Health Care.  “Fewer families and healthcare providers will have to struggle with making difficult healthcare decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient, and healthcare providers and facilities will be better equipped to address advance healthcare planning issues before a crisis and be better able to honor patient wishes when the time comes to do so.”