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The diagnosis is death. Dr. Ronald Crossno, one of four National Medical Directors for Odyssey HealthCare, is not being glib or smart when he properly points out in a casual, soft-spoken tone of voice, “I’m pretty sure the human condition is the same everywhere. The mortality rate is 100 percent, and eventually it comes to all of us, but there is hope and do have a choice. We can do it with dignity and that includes Hospice. It can because Hospice isn’t just about death.”

The board certified Family Medicine physician holds Certificates of Added Qualifications in Geriatric Medicine and Hospice & Palliative Medicine. He is a Certified Medical Director for long-term care through the American Medical Directors Association, and among his current responsibilities, Dr. Crossno is Treasurer of the American Academy of Hospice & Palliative Medicine and has been elected to serve as the Academy’s President in 2011.  He also serves on the Academy’s Public Policy Committee and as the AAHPM’s Alternate Delegate to the American Medical Association. He is a member of the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization’s Public Policy Committee and its Research Committee. He also serves on the American Medical Directors Association’s Ethics Committee. He has also been honored as an End-of-life Champion by the Texas Partnership for End-of-life Care and with the Community Service Award of the Texas Geriatrics Society.  He has been published on topics involving hospice and palliative medicine and has presented at local, state, and national venues on these topics. Dr. Crossno will host the February Webinar offered exclusively through OCALA Magazine and speak directly to the subject of who Odyssey HealthCare really is.

Speaking with Dr. Crossno, it becomes obvious that he is dedicated to the enhancement of end of life care. “I’m more than a person who provides care,” he says. “I am an educator about Hospice as well.”

He is quick to point out how it is drastically under-utilized in spite of the fact that Medicare designed the Hospice benefit for six months of coverage. “One third of patients get one week of service,” he points out. “Fifty percent get less than a month. Why?”

He answers his own question when he asks, “How do you know when someone can avail themselves to benefit from the services? It’s a tough call, and I think that’s why so many wait until the last possible moment. We lie to ourselves. It’s human nature. We bet we are going to be better than the average and we cheat ourselves out of the end of life care Hospice can provide to the entire family and extended support unit of close friends.”

Dr. Crossno is a strong advocate of getting Hospice involved as soon as possible. “Hospice is health care,” he says emphatically. “Too many think about it as being about death, but it is really about life and how we can make the final days as pain free and as dignified as possible.”

Going back to the up coming Webinar, Dr. Crossno says he intends to introduce Odyssey HealthCare to the area by defining who they are. “We’re built to provide personalized care for each beneficiary. That’s why we have small to medium sized offices strategically placed across the nation, and that’s why we make sure our staff is prepared better than anyone else in the nation.”

He points to a robust education system that includes bouncing ideas around during routine clinical conference calls the first Friday of every month. “We examine a rotating series of topics, discuss unusual cases, and share information with one another. The interaction between the interested parties keeps us sharp and well informed. We draw from one another’s experiences, and enhance our own knowledge in the process.”

During the Webinar Dr. Crossno intends to go beyond the normal medical side of things. “Of course we need to get the sickness under control as much as possible,” he says. “But there are other things involved. When we can control the symptoms, we can also extend one’s life. When you consider how precious each day can be, a week or a month more can be significant and really mean something. And that’s why it should be Hospice sooner rather than later.” 

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Odyssey HealthCare
352.342.2071  888.637.9227
www.odsyhealth.com