A Message from Respecting Choices Co-founder, Linda Briggs
For personal and professional reasons, I will be leaving my position as Director of Program Development and Research at Respecting Choices at the end of this year. We have been preparing for this transition for many months, and I am looking forward to my new ongoing role as a consultant with Respecting Choices.
I have been fortunate to have spent the last 20 years of my life working with a community of passionate individuals around the world who share a common vision. How lucky have I been? You have all inspired me in ways you will never know. The journey began in 1999, when Bud asked me to join him in creating a national strategy to disseminate the RC program. It was the best decision I ever made. At every challenge along the way, there were experiences that motivated me to continue to learn. You gave me new perspectives. As Faculty, Facilitators, teams and research partners, we’ve laughed (and cried) together. The patient and family stories were heartwarming. Thank you for teaching me to see things differently; to make me a better person. I will take these lessons into the next chapter of my life; a chapter that I know will be full of new adventures and new ways for me to make a difference. There is so much more work to be done. I look forward to what we can all achieve in the years to come.
I am so proud of the Respecting Choices leadership team, Faculty and staff who are forging the path to exciting new opportunities, collaborations, and partnerships. I will remain their most loyal champion and will explore the new ways I can contribute to the success of Respecting Choices programs.
A Message from Bud Hammes and Stephanie Anderson
Linda Briggs will transition out of her role as Director of Program Development and Research at the end of 2018. She will continue in a consulting role that will include, but not limited to: consultation regarding new program development and program revisions; consultation support for new research; continue and complete any current research commitments; and mentor RC Senior Faculty for a smooth handoff of program development and research leadership. We are thankful Linda will continue in this consultation role as Respecting Choices continues to grow and evolve as a non-profit national organization.
As Linda is stepping out of a full-time leadership position into a consulting role, we want to take this opportunity to acknowledge Linda’s significant accomplishments and unique contributions to Respecting Choices as well as her impact on improving person-centered care. Linda had the primary responsibility to take the local, Respecting Choices program and transform it into a national/international program with a skill-based education curriculum for not only Facilitators but also Instructors and ultimately Respecting Choices ACP/SDMSI Faculty. She led the work in First, Next, and Advanced Steps and most recently in Shared Decision-Making in Serious Illness and in the new online curriculum, “Building Physician Skills in Advance Care Planning.” And the list goes on to include her important contributions to research, to quality improvement, and to system design.
Her work over the past 20 years is truly a legacy, and while we will miss having her serve as Director, we are excited to see the new and innovative ways she will continue to help build and grow Respecting Choices in her new role as Consultant. Thanks Linda, for all you have done and all you will continue to do!
Sincerely,
Bud Hammes, Executive Director
Stephanie Anderson, Deputy Executive Director
