August 19, 2009
Open Letter to President Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr President:
This letter is written by the Critical Care Societies Collaborative. As the major professional societies representing critical care clinicians, including critical care nurses and physicians, we have joined together to express our concerns about the opportunity for health care reform to improve end-of-life care and about the recent misinformation that is being promulgated on this important topic.
Our societies include the professional and scientific societies representing critical care nurses and physicians, including the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Thoracic Society, and the Society of Critical Care Medicine. Collectively, these societies represent more than 100 000 health care professionals who work with critically ill patients and their families.
In summary, we are excited about the opportunities that exist for our health care...