Our Mission

Using the arts, humanities, and digital resources, Transitions and Decisions empowers international communities to have advance care planning conversations that support end of life wishes.

The Story Behind Transitions and Decisions

Meet our TAD-Resource Innovators, Designers and Developers!

This project was made possible by the St. David's Foundation, Kitchen Table Conversations, UT McCombs School of Business and the following team of students:

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Alyssa Wu
Alyssa Wu
Elvi Casia
Elvi Casia
Vivian Chen
Vivian Chen
Emilou Estrellado
Emilou Estrellado
Atharva Raikar
Atharva Raikar
First UT Austin TAD Team
First UT Austin TAD Team
Sabrina Benitez
Sabrina Benitez
Second UT Austin TAD Team
Second UT Austin TAD Team

Transitions & Decisions Board Members

Portrait of Deborah Kaercher
Deborah Kaercher

Board Chair & CEO

THE HISTORY AND THE VISION

 

Transitions and Decisions is a website that specializes in information around advance care planning and end of life services and support. In 2018, Transitions and Decisions was launched in response to the growing need for access to end of life education, support services and basic, user-friendly information.

The proposed project was accepted as a senior capstone project by Professor Clint Tuttle at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business. We had the great honor of working with 5 creative and dedicated senior students on the planning and development of the website. To date, students committed to making a change have completed most of the initial content research on the website. Transitions and Decisions is a legacy our students and Health Literacy Media team have created together that will live on for years to come.  Of course, none of this work could have been done without the initial support of the UT McCombs School of Business, the St. David’s Foundation and the many supporters across Texas.

An important part of our mission will include community-based education through arts and humanities programming, as well as hosted conversations with experts in the field. These special events will serve as a catalyst to support end of life discussion, education and planning. Our vision is to encourage the best possible quality of life for every person while helping families preserve the social capital that is needed at life's transition and ultimate end.

When issues are complex and difficult, active and interactive experiences and storytelling become a forum for exploration, expression, and development of dialogue and strategy. The creative arts produce a shared experience of language and actions, whether it is in the theatre or through local galleries, libraries, museums, houses of worship, or conversation groups. It is an inclusive and social way to mirror dilemmas and offer insight into possible actions and answers.

Transitions and Decisions has an important role to play in the future of our state’s advance care planning and end of life education. Our founding leaders understand how important it is for all of us to be more actively engaged in the advance care planning conversation. May our educational programs and services provide you with a clear path forward and a viable plan of action.

The greatest gift you can give to yourself, and to your family, is the conversation that lives in your heart.  

Deborah Kaercher, MPH/PhD

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Donate

Make a gift today to our wishing well and help us empower people to have advance care planning conversations!

Health Literacy Media logo In 2019, TAD partnered with Health Literacy Media (HLM) to apply health literacy best practices to the TAD site's content. HLM is a nonprofit health communication company located in St. Louis, Missouri.

The staff of Health Literacy Media posing for a group photo