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 for exploration, clinical discussion, and evidence-based knowledge about medical aid-in-dying. EOLWA community members led, moderated, or participated in the following panels and networking sessions:
- Clinician Attendance on the Aid-in-Dying day — Doctors, nurses, volunteers, end-of-life doulas, hospice staff (Chris Fruitrich, VCA and team leader)
- The Pharmacology of Aid-in-Dying and a Red Flags Update (Dr. Carol Parrot, volunteer physician)
- Grief Support after Medical Aid-in-Dying (Sally Thomae, MSW, Contractor)
- Socially Challenging Settings and Circumstances — homeless and impoverished; family conflicts; skilled nursing and long-term care facilities (Rebecca Hudson, MA, Client Support Coordinator)
- State Organizational Leadership Challenges Networking Group (Dr. Jess Kaan, Medical Director)
The inauguration of the Journal of Aid-in-Dying Medicine was announced during the conference. EOLWA’s Medical Director, Dr. Jess Kaan, has volunteered to be on the editorial board. If you would like more information about the journal, please visit the Journal of Aid-in-Dying Medicine – American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid-in-Dying
(acamaid.org/journal).
It was wonderful to interact with folks from all over doing the same work as us. It was particularly interesting to learn about the differences between the laws in different states and how state-specific organizations manage those differences. It was also great to hear about the other states working on legislation similar to ours to reduce barriers to access. What was very evident at the conference is how well-regarded End of Life Washington is — we are recognized as leaders in this work, and we should all be proud of that!