END OF LIFE CONVERSATIONS PROVIDE CONTEXT FOR PREMIERE OF: THE LAST CHAPTER A WQED DOCUMENTARY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 20, 2011

CONTACT:
Maria Pisano
412-622-1459
mpisano@wqed.org

Darryl Ford Williams
412-622-1393
dfwillia@wqed.org

END OF LIFE CONVERSATIONS
PROVIDE CONTEXT FOR PREMIERE OF:
THE LAST CHAPTER
A WQED DOCUMENTARY

PITTSBURGH—Everyone has a story – a life that can be broken down into chapters. For patients with a terminal illness the question becomes: who will write the last chapter?

Billions of dollars are currently spent on terminally ill patients -- much of that on patients who may or may not want or fully understand the treatments being offered to them. But patients who have made a different choice – opting for palliative and hospice care as part of their end of life planning – often have lower costs and higher quality of life in the final days. Some even see their lives prolonged.

This documentary is not about the elderly, or the sick. It is a story -- about us. Most people will experience the death of a family member or friend -- and as we age -- so will we be affected by chronic illness. Taking part in end of life planning represents an opportunity to have those difficult conversations and to take part in - even take charge of -- a journey that can lead to a better quality of life -- and a more peaceful goodbye -- as we write The Last Chapter.

On Thursday, June 30, 2011 join WQED-TV for Before the Last Chapter: Conversations About the End of Life, a half-hour panel discussion LIVE at 7:30 p.m. followed by the premiere of The Last Chapter, a one-hour documentary at 8 p.m. about several local people dealing with end of life issues.

Before the Last Chapter: Conversations About the End of Life will encore:

June 30
At 10 p.m. on WQED: The Create Channel
At midnight on WQED-TV

July 1
At 12:30 p.m. on WQED: The Create Channel

July 3
At 1:30 p.m. on WQED-TV

The Last Chapter will encore:

July 1
At 10 p.m. on WQED-TV

July 3
At 10:30 p.m. on WQED-TV

Funding for Before the Last Chapter: Conversations About the End of Life and The Last Chapter was provided by a grant from The Jewish Healthcare Foundation.

WQED Pittsburgh, honored with the 2007 and 2006 Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Award for Station Excellence, was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org); and The WQED Education Department.

The Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF) and its supporting organizations, the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative (PRHI) and Health Careers Futures (HCF) develop and manage programs, research, training and grantmaking to perfect patient care. JHF is also the fiscal agent for State HIV/AIDS funding in Pennsylvania. In addition, the Foundation has created Closure, an education, planning and outreach effort dedicated to changing expectations for end-of-life. JHF is funded by public and private sources, and the JHF endowment. For more information, visit www.jhf.org.