Palliative Care Education and Training Act - PCETA

Our work with leading palliative care physicians over a period of several years resulted in enactment of the Palliative Care Education and Training Act, Public Health Law, 2807-n (2007).

The Palliative Care Education and Training Act was initiated by End of Life Choices New York and enacted in 2007. It was the first bill of its kind in the nation. The legislation addresses, in a number of meaningful ways, the urgent public health care crisis of the undertreatment of pain.

The PCETA:

• Establishes a statewide advisory council on palliative care and pain management;
• Create undergraduate and graduate palliative care training programs;
• Establishes Department of Health-designated Centers for Palliative Care Excellence; and
• Authorizes the Department of Health to certify one or more palliative care resource centers to assist physicians in the treatment of patients in pain.