Wishard Doctor Sets Off on Cross Country Bike Trek to Honor Patients

Contact: Todd Harper 
Phone: (317) 630-7808 
Pager: (317) 310-5972

Indianapolis, September 9, 2009 – Since its formation 10 years ago, the Palliative Care Program at Wishard Health Services has worked to improve the comfort and quality of life for all patients who face a life-limiting illness.  In the past decade, Wishard's Palliative Care team has helped more than 3,000 patients and their families.   
To recognize this, Dr. Gregory Gramelspacher, director of the Palliative Care Program at Wishard and professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, will be setting off on a 40-day bicycle ride across the country, riding roughly one mile for each patient.  The journey titled  "Dr. Greg's Ride to Remember" will take Dr. Gramelspacher across 11 states, from Santa Barbara, California, to Charleston, South Carolina.  Dr. Greg’s Ride to Remember is also aimed at raising support for the Palliative Care Program and drawing attention to the needs of the dying poor.
"My goal is to celebrate our tenth anniversary, raise awareness about compassionate end-of-life care – especially for the dying poor – and to talk about palliative care," Dr. Gramelspacher said, adding he will be keeping people posted on his progress by blogging at www.ridetoremember.us and communicating with colleagues back at Wishard.
Dr. Gramelspacher explained that the goal of palliative medicine is to prevent and relieve suffering and to improve quality of life for people facing serious, complex illness.  Palliative care is provided by a multidisciplinary team that includes doctors, nurses, social workers and chaplains.  The team works in partnership with the patient’s primary doctor and other specialty physicians. 
"Prior to starting our program, I witnessed too many patients die in pain, alone or forgotten.  I learned that it doesn’t have to be that way, even for the dying poor.  We can – we have – made it better.  Our work is a labor of love," Dr. Gramelspacher added.  
Dr. Greg's Ride to Remember calls for Dr. Gramelspacher to leave from Santa Barbara, California, on September 14 and arrive in Charleston, South Carolina, on October 24.  As he travels across the 11 states that make up the ride, Dr. Gramelspacher will bike approximately 95 miles per day with only four days of rest.  He will travel with a team of 13 other riders.  The elevations along the route are equivalent to riding up Mt. Everest five and a half times, a total of 175,000 feet of climbing.  
Funds raised by the ride will be used to support a comprehensive bereavement program that will enhance palliative care services at Wishard.  
Established in 1999, the Palliative Care Program at Wishard Health Services is committed to improving comfort and quality of life for all patients who face life-limiting illness.  The program assists poor and underserved patients who have been diagnosed with terminal illnesses and lack the resources to die with the dignity and compassion that all persons deserve.  The specially trained staff at Wishard helps coordinate complex medical care for patients as they face the physical and psychological challenges associated with their illness.
Dr. Greg's Ride to Remember is sponsored by The Glick Family Foundation.  Other organizations supporting the ride include The Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis, Glasscock Family Foundation, KLX Media, GameChangers.com, Gramelspacher Foundation, C.A. Stenftenagel Family Foundation, Marcia and Thomas Desmond, Dr. Marian McNamara and the Wishard Foundation.  For more information or to donate to the ride, please call 630-6451 or visit www.ridetoremember.us .