CU Anschutz palliative care education presented a physical poster at the European Association of Palliative Care (EAPC) from May 14-16, 2026 in Prague, Czech Republic. The poster is entitled “New Horizons: Training the Next Generation of HPM Fellows to Incorporate Professional Balance and Boundaries”. Dr. Kelly Arora, Dr. Heather Coats, and Dr. Katie Morrison co-authored the poster.
I met with Dr. Christopher Jones, the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Palliative Medicine, during the poster presentations. During the keynote, we were treated to a performance by the Prague Cello Quartet. Speakers included Joanne Wolfe from Harvard Medical School, Scott Murray from the University of Edinburgh, Mai-Britt Guldin from the Denmark Center for Grief and Existential Values, and ethics and humanities professor Carlo Leget who teaches in the Netherlands. Other CU Anschutz faculty in attendance included Dr. Jean Kutner, Dr. Stacy Fischer, and Dr. Hillary Lum along with several other University of Colorado representatives.
During my travels, I learned about cultural shifts over the past century that have impacted quality of life and health in Prague. The Czech Republic was a thriving country with 99% literacy prior to Communist occupation. During Communist-era occupation, the Czechs experienced repression of culture and society and governmental terror of its people. In Czechoslovakia in the 1940’s through 1980’s, serious illness and dying was impacted on a cultural level due to institutional restrictions on religious rituals honoring the dead. Healthcare deteriorated during this time, and health issues like cardiovascular disease skyrocketed. Rather than burial, the Soviets heavily promoted cremation to quelch any connection to Czech spiritual beliefs. In the past 40 or so years, Czechs have engaged post-Communist rebuilding of the infrastructure, arts, music and interpersonal trust. Historical Prague was spared from the bombing, and many of the original sites were untouched by Communist hands. The city of Prague has incredible resilience as witnessed in its architecture and people, with a growth mindset to resurrect and improve their way of life.
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For more information on EAPC: European Association for Palliative Care - EAPC
If you would like to listen to the Prague Cello Quartet: Prague Cello Quartet | Prague Cello Quartet
Relating to palliative care in the Czech Republic:
Palliative Care in the Czech Republic: From Initiative to Everyday Practice
Homepage - The National Database of Palliative Care
Kabelka, L. 2020. Building Specialized Palliative Care for the Czech Republic: A Fifteen-Year Leadership Journey in a Developing Country. JPM, 23(5). 4 pgs.