Each year, we ask our network of community champions to share emerging ideas or plans in the making for promoting National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD). Celebrated every year on April 16^th and across the month of April, NHDD encourages people to begin or continue conversations about their wishes for care through the end of life.

Take a look at what 14 amazing champions of conversations are planning and see if any spark ideas! We hope this helps you think about what you might do for those in your personal, social, or community circles.

In-person events: On-site and in the community

Plans to expand visibility across the hospital, clinic, and community setting:

• Hosting a staffed advance care planning (ACP) information table in the hospital lobby and clinic during peak hours
• Providing an in-service for providers and clinic staff on initiating ACP discussions earlier and more confidently
• Offering an evening ACP workshop to make participation feasible for working adults and caregivers in the 50+ cohort
• Distributing clear “first steps” tools for families (e.g., naming a healthcare proxy, documenting values, aligning family expectations) Anna Britton, Sioux Center Health, IA

Reaching students and the general public with supports to take action:

• Hosting a workshop for National Healthcare Decisions Day 2026 at Cal State University San Marcos for students in nursing and social work
• Hosting a workshop for the public on advance healthcare directives with AHDs and supplements available to be filled out and witnessed by other attendees, and/or a notary present. Melissa McClave, Last Acts of Love, CA

Tapping into/piggybacking existing events:

• Speaking directly to end-of-life planning as an element of mental health care during an in-progress local, community wide, month long climate awareness campaign. Heidi Hannapel, Bluestem Cemetery, NC

• Participating in a women’s networking summit on April 13^th and planning to have a vendor table and sharing information. Planning on holding a community talk sharing this important topic. Maureen Kures, Radiant Mourning, WA

Themes and activities to encourage participation:

• Tabling in the main medical center building and long-term care facility next door with a raffle to those who promise to have ongoing conversations with their loved ones. Katie Daoheuang, Erie County Medical Center, NY

• Community engagement through a health fair. Agrifina Catapusan, OPTUM – Ask me about Advance Directives, MO

Some past activities that were huge success:

• Hosting an “I’ve Got Mine!” campaign with PeaceHealth (lead-by-example) with commitments for completing advance directives from health care staff; and “What up Doc? We’re Dying to Talk” campaign. Micki Jackson, Community Volunteer, WA

• Accompanying patient waiting room table materials with a big inflatable blue elephant, to prompt discussion about “the elephant in the room”
• Creating a series of 3 short interview videos: a patient, an internal medicine physician, and our medical director
• A “bucket list” display – patients took a slip of paper out of bucket, filled in their bucket list ideas, posted them on a wall mural, and were rewarded with a small giveaway imprinted with our FQHC’s logo. Joan Lane, SW Community Health Center, CT

Community conversations in cozy spaces

• Plans to host Death over Drafts across the country again, focusing on ACP. Great to have individuals who work in elder/end-of-life field filling out their directives at an event and feeling no shame only encouragement. Stefanie Elkins, Be Present Care, Kol Tikavh, CA

• Holding third annual community presentation on NHDD. Ensuring it’s well-advertised. Nancy Balter, Foothills Conversations, CO

Virtual connections: for learning and taking action

• Weekly educational and participatory webinars across the month of April. Chinese American Coalition for Compassionate Care, CA

• Hosting annual NHDD themed podcast. Mourning Dove Medical Presents Dr. G at the Heart of Healthcare

Written promotions

• Write a community newspaper article. Marilyn Halpern, Aspen Guardianship and Care Services, CO

• Writing and posting annual “Who speaks for you” editorial and working with a student to present a poster in May at Mass General Brigham. Kathy Gould, Editor-In-Chief Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing, Faculty Boston College, MA

For more ideas, explore all the resources we have, including frequently asked questions about planning for NHDD, a roadmap with links to ready-made resources to help provide answers. This NHDD communications toolkit can also help!

What plans do you have? Was this helpful? Please add anything in the comments below!

Want to keep connected to The Conversation Project for more ideas from other communities? Sign-up for our community engagement newsletter, follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube), and feel free to reach us at ConversationProject@ihi.org.