We Did It! The State House of Representatives passed ESSB 5179, our bill to improve access to the Death with Dignity Act, with a vote of 53-43. With this vote, critical improvements to the law are on their way to Governor Jay Inslee’s desk for his signature. These...
by EOLWA Staff At 74 years old, Carl Shutoff has lost his fair share of loved ones. Ten years ago, before becoming a Volunteer Client Advisor (VCA) with End of Life Washington (EOLWA), Carl witnessed the death of his younger brother Harry. Harry had been sick for some...
by Rebecca Lane, Interim Executive Director I’ve been in the nonprofit sector for over 35 years as a social worker, executive director, development and fundraising director, and now interim executive director. My role as Interim Executive Director is to guide an...
by EOLWA Staff Over 25 people from the End of Life Washington community attended the National Clinicians Conference on Medical Aid in Dying (NCCMAID) held in Portland, Oregon, on February 17-18. This conference, which first occurred in 2020, originates from the need...
by Teresa Chiftis, Current President of EOLWA Board of Directors End of Life Washington Community Members: Since I wrote to you in our last newsletter, a lot has happened – both from an organizational perspective and for the landscape of Washington’s Medical Aid in...
by Nancy Sapiro, JD, EOLWA Lobbyist We are thrilled to report that Senate Bill 5179, which will increase access to our state’s Death with Dignity Law (DWD), recently passed through both houses of the WA State Legislature and has now been signed into law by Governor...
by Elise Takahama for The Seattle Times It’s difficult to pinpoint how Dr. Leonard Cobb came up with the idea to train firefighters in emergency medical care, but friends and family believe one particular afternoon more than 60 years ago played a role. Cobb and his...
Death with Dignity Act: Faced with terminal diagnosis, Washingtonians have a right to a full range of options for care at the end-of-life, including medical-aid-in-dying. Medical aid in dying allows terminally ill adults to get a prescription they can take to end...
“Often, by the time a person is considering medical aid-in-dying, they can’t manage the process. It isn’t an instant process by design. There are numerous steps that take considerable effort and time. Too many medical providers and systems withhold information,...
“Carol was great; she was so understanding, helpful, and informative. She sat and talked with my mom and me about my mom’s wishes to not suffer and to be in control.” – Aunt B’s Daughter. “What I enjoy most about working with...
