June 10, New Age Of Awareness Rally, in Chicago with the New Age of Chicago Project
Oct. 20, ‘Starting the Conversation’ with BMO Financial Advisors, in Green Lake, Wis.
Oct. 17, Training Respecting Choices Last Steps Advance Care Planning Facilitators, in Chicago
April 16, ‘Death over Diner’ on National Health Care Decisions Day, in Chicago
Dozens gathered at Barba Yianni Grecian Taverna for the sold-out event.
October 22-25, the Association for Bioethics and Humanities conference
The American Society for Bioethics and Humanities promotes the exchange of ideas and fosters multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary scholarship, research, policy development, professional development and collegiality among people engaged in clinical and academic bioethics and medical humanities.
October 21, ALS Association’s Annual Educational and Scientific Symposium, “Lost in Translation”
October 8, “Starting The Conversation”: End Of Life Decision-Making Through A Catholic Lens
Co-Founders Randi Belisomo and Dr. Mary F. Mulcahy discussed Illinois’ Power of Attorney document with attorney Donald. P. Bailey at
September 30, Social Workers: Ethical Empowerment In Health Care Decision-Making
Co-sponsored by Brookdale Vernon Hills and Home Instead Senior Care, Life Matters Media co-founders Randi Belisomo and Dr. Mary F. Mulcahy spoke about end of life decision-making. Ethics CEO credits were offered.
September 10, Life Matters Media And Aging Care Connections Host ‘Death Over Dinner’
Life Matters Media and Aging Care Connections hosted “Death over Dinner” on Thursday, Sept.10 at La Grange Country Club. The “Death over Dinner” movement has helped thousands of Americans share their end of life wishes with friends, family and even strangers.
April 16, Celebrating National Health Care Decisions Day With Chicago Public Libraries
Life Matters Media visited North side and South side libraries to help Chicagoans communicate and document their end of life care wishes.
March 31, “Starting the Conversation with Rick Kogan,” Chicago’s Harold Washington Library.
Rick Kogan
Life Matters Media Founders Randi Belisomo and Dr. Mary F. Mulcahy spoke about the importance of advance health care planning on March 31 in Chicago’s historic Harold Washington Library. They were joined by Rick Kogan, noted Chicago Tribune columnist and WGN Radio host, who shared his own end of life care preferences. Listen here
March 25, “Systemic Implementation of Advance Care Planning in a Diverse City,” Aging in America Conference
Feb. 28, Dying to Know: Life-Affirming Conversations About Living and Dying Well, Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being in Chicago
LMM President Randi Belisomo reviewed Dying in America, a widely circulated report from the Institute of Medicine calling for new public engagement strategies to foster informed decision-making.
Feb. 21, Respecting Choices First Steps Facilitator Training, at Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital
Life Matters Media and ethicist Julie Goldstein helped train 20 advance care planning facilitators as part of the Respecting Choices First Steps program. Attendees learned to engage patients and families in meaningful end of life discussions.
Oct. 16-18, Life Matters Media Presents At American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH) 2014 Annual Meeting In San Diego
Co-Founders Randi Belisomo and Mary F. Mulcahy present “Disparities and Barriers in Advance Care Planning: A Citywide Analysis of Chicago Seniors.”
Sept. 9-12, Life Matters Media Attends TEDMED2014 Conference In San Francisco
Co-Founders Dr. Mary F. Mulcahy and Randi Belisomo spoke about the importance of interpersonal communication on health decisions.
June 26, “Life Matters Media Anniversary And ‘Death Over Dinner’ “
Founder Randi Belisomo offers ‘Death over Dinner’ discussion prompts
Founder Dr. Mary F. Mulcahy welcomes guests
Mitchell Goldberg, Julie Goldstein, Megan Hryndza
Life Matters Media celebrated its One Year Anniversary with a ‘Death over Dinner’ Thursday evening at the Italian Village in Chicago’s Loop. More than 50 patients, students and medical professionals shared their end of life wishes over wine, pasta and an LMM birthday cake.
June 19, “Knocking On Heaven’s Door: The Path To A Better Way of Death”: An Evening With Katy Butler
Katy Butler, author of ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door’
Activists, patients and doctors discuss the importance of planning for the end of life
Life Matters Media was proud to sponsor the event at Loyola University in Chicago. In 2013, Butler published Knocking on Heaven’s Door, her best-selling memoir. More than 115 attended.
May 15, Women’s Health Research Institute’s Celebrating Women’s Health Event
Founders Randi Belisomo and Dr. Mary F. Mulcahy presented at Northwestern University’s Women’s Health Research Center in Chicago. With Director Celeste Gallati.
April 24, “Engaging New Media to Drive Advance Care Planning”: An Oral Presentation
Co-Founders Randi Belisomo and Dr. Mary F. Mulcahy presented on how social media can drive advance health care planning at the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) Annual Conference in Baltimore.
April 17, “Breaking Down Barriers to End of Life Care”
Co-Founders Randi Belisomo and Dr. Mary F. Mulcahy presented at Midwestern University’s Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine on the importance of planning for the end of life.
Jan. 26, “End of Life Decision Making: Planning Ahead Within Our Families”
Life Matters Media Co-Founders Randi Belisomo and Mary F. Mulcahy spoke at Resurrection Catholic Community in Wayne, IL about the importance of planning for end of life.
Nov. 16, Planning For The Future: How Do Advance Directives Fit In?
Co-Founders Randi Belisomo and Mary F. Mulcahy, M.D., presented Planning For The Future: How Do Advance Directives Fit In? at the Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center as part of ‘Cancer Connections’. Watch here.
Nov. 22, “End of Life Care: Breaking Through Barriers,” part of the 16th Annual Oncology Nursing Conference
Dr. Mary F. Mulcahy addresses audience at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
Nov. 16, Planning for the Future: How do Advanced Directives Fit In?
Randi Belisomo presenting for Cancer Connections at Northwestern Memorial Hospital
“Stories That Matter,” Oct. 26
Co-Founder Mary Mulcahy, MD with board members Reto and Celeste Gallati
An evening of live lit and libations was hosted by Life Matters Media and Midwest Care Center Oct. 26, 2013 at Midwest CareCenter.
Oct. 23, Storyteller and performer Jen Bosworth promotes LMM’s “Stories that Matter” event on WBEZ’s “Afternoon Shift”
Jen Bosworth on WBEZ
Oct. 23, WGN Radio host Steve Cochran discusses “Stories that Matter” event with Co-Founder Randi Belisomo
WGN 720 with host Steve Cochran
The 18th Annual James E. & Bonnie L. Eckenhoff Lecture and John and Gwen Smart Symposium October 21 Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center, Chicago, IL
LMM Symposium Poster
Daniel Gaitan and Randi Belisomo, co-founder of LMM
Life Matters Media presented “Engaging new media to drive advance care planning”
“Death and Wine,” Sept. 15th, A Salon Presented by Phi Beta Kappa, Life Matters Media And The Elements Cremation Company
Ronette McCarthy, of Elements Cremation, leads discussion
Ronette McCarthy and Randi Belisomo (right) talk about the importance of advance care planning
Randi Belisomo and Dr. Mary F. Mulcahy encourage frank, honest discussion about death and dying over wine at 30 East Huron, Chicago. Visit pbkaca.org
Evanston Rotary Club, August 22nd, “The Gift of Advance Care Planning”
Image: Evanston Rotary Club By Karen Kring
Randi Belisomo and Dr. Mary F. Mulcahy speak about the importance of advance care planning at the Evanston Rotary Club.
Public Service Announcement at WBBM Newsradio, Aug. 15, “Please Start Talking”
Life Matters Media Co-Founder Randi Belisomo records public service announcement “Please Start Talking.”
Generations Serving Generations, August 14th, “Intergenerational Summit on Why News Matters”
LMM Co-Founders Randi Belisomo and Mary Mulcahy, MD lead session: “News, Opinion and Propaganda Surrounding the Affordable Care Act: Deciphering End of Life Health Care,” Sponsored by Generations Serving Generations and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
North Shore Senior Care Center, July 23rd “The Gift of Advance Care Planning”
Randi Belisomo and Mary F. Mulcahy helped dozens of seniors complete power of attorney and power of attorney for health care documents.
WBEZ FM 91.5, July 19th “Overcoming Obstacles in End of Life Care”
Mary F. Mulcahy, Randi Belisomo, Julie Goldstein, Ronette McCarthy
The barriers standing in the way of the best end of life care are numerous. Randi Belisomo speaks with Dr. Julie Goldstein of Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Dr. Mary Mulcahy of Life Matters Media and Ronette McCarthy of Elements Cremation for the Morning Shift.
Association of Health Care Journalists- Chicago, June 2013
Julie Goldstein, Martha Twaddle, Mary Mulcahy and Randi Belisomo. Photo Courtesy AHCJ Chicago
Randi Belisomo and Mary Mulcahy join Advocate Illinois Masonic palliative care specialist Dr. Julie Goldstein and Dr. Martha Twaddle, medical director of Midwest Palliative care at a panel entitled “Changing the Costs and Care at the End of Life.”
DePaul University, May 2013
With Life Matters Media Newswire, LMM co-founder Randi Belisomo lectures DePaul University graduate class “News Now: Journalism in the Information Age.”
Introducing POLST: Northwestern Memorial Hospital, May 2013
Life Matters Media Co-founder Mary Mulcahy, M.D., talks with NMH physicians and other medical staff about the new form, now available in Illinois.
TEDMED 2013
Life Matters Media was pleased to participate in TEDMED 2013 this March at Washington, D.C.’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. TEDMED is a multi-disciplinary community of innovators and leaders who share a common determination to create a better future for health and medicine.
As part of the conference, our co-founders were pleased to join two teams on the “20 Great Challenges of Health and Medicine,” sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation- working to identify problems and advance solutions surrounding end of life care and the caregiver crisis.
Association of Health Care Journalists Conference 2013
Photo of Randi Belisomo, Courtesy AHCJ
Life Matters Media was pleased to participate in this year’s Association of Health Care Journalists Conference in March at Boston’s World Trade Center. The AHCJ is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public understanding of health care issues. Its mission is to improve the quality, accuracy and visibility of health care reporting, writing and editing. Life Matters Media co-founders Mary Mulcahy and Randi Belisomo and Life Matters Media content producer Daniel Gaitan are members of the AHCJ.
To read more about our experiences there, read this interview with Randi:
healthjournalism.org/blog/2013/03/snapshots-from-ahcj13-randi-belisomo
Chicago End-of-Life Care Coalition Annual Meeting 2013
The CECC is dedicated to improving the care of dying patients. The independent non-profit combines educational and outreach resources to build a community in which everyone can die in comfort and company, and where families and friends are confident that their loved ones were as physically comfortable and at peace as possible.
Life Matters Media co-founders Mary Mulcahy and Randi Belisomo were pleased to deliver the CECC Annual keynote address at Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital in January 2013. Their talk, “Dying to Know,” underscored the importance of proper advance care planning within families.