Happy New Year! Happy New Decade! What a great time of year when hope is alive, new possibilities are endless and there's a fresh start filled with optimism. So it is fitting that as we wish you a Happy 2KX or 2010, we begin some new features in our monthly e-newsletter.

This year, we want to focus on physicians as referrers to hospice and help shed some light and offer ideas on overcoming the barriers they have in referring to hospice. We also will offer some "marketing best practice tips" which we hope will inspire you continue to do your job with enthusiasm and effectiveness.

Let this be the year of two-way communication. If there's a topic you would like addressed or a comment you'd like to make on any of our stories, we want to hear it. We also encourage you to check out our blog and join the conversation.

We are optimistic that with solid marketing you can reach your goals and continue to fund your mission of helping people experience end of life with dignity in this decade and beyond.

For some board members, the idea of marketing a hospice is a line that shouldn't be crossed. The thinking often goes like this: "Yes, we exist for the community good and yes, we provide excellent, compassionate care but no, we can't 'advertise' it." For some "old school" board members, it can be difficult for them to change their long-held personal feelings about the propriety of talking about death, dying and loved ones on TV. Advertising alongside Jell-O, Pepsi and the local car dealer just doesn't seem right to some. MORE >>

Dr. Dennis McCullough, author of My Mother, Your Mother: Embracing "Slow Medicine," the Compassionate Approach to Caring for Your Aging Loved Ones, was a family physician before becoming a geriatrician and involved with hospice. In a recent interview, he offered his opinions on why some physicians put off having conversations with their patient about end of life and hospice. MORE >>