Issue 17, Summer 2013 - End of Life Washington
Transcription
Issue 17, Summer 2013 - End of Life Washington
C&C Connection The Newsletter of Compassion & Choices of Washington issue 17 summer 2013 “Epidemic” of Hospital Mergers in Washington The now furious pace of affiliations between secular hospitals and Catholic systems in Washington – one of the most unchurched states in the country – is setting off alarms with individuals and organizations that believe that patients, not providers’ religious prerogatives, should determine the medical care they receive. “In the 15 years we have been tracking religious/secular hospital mergers, we have never seen so many active cases in one state – until now,” says Lois Uttley, MPH, founder and director of MergerWatch. While 26 percent of hospital beds were in religious hospitals in April 2010, today that figure is 40 percent and could rise to nearly 50 percent by year’s end. Already in certain parts of the state, the only option available to residents is religious-based health care. And it’s not just hospitals. As hospital systems consolidate, physician practice groups, medical clinics, medical laboratories, and hospice providers are also being acquired or purchased. Because hospice patients frequently inquire about the option of Death With Dignity (DWD), the takeover of secular continued on page 6 New Al zheimer’s Directive Addresses Critical need Our new Compassion & Choices of Washington Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Mental Health Advance Directive was created to allow the rapidly escalating number of Americans coping with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia to document their wishes about the inevitable challenges related to living with these illnesses. This first-of-its-kind directive allows people – while still competent – to document their wishes related to who will provide their care, where care will be provided, how it will be financed, how to deal with difficult behaviors that may arise, and many other issues. It also provides a guide to family members, health care providers, long-term care providers, and other caregivers. It should be used in addition to advance directives for medical decisions, such as our Compassion & Choices of Washington Advance Directive. Lisa Brodoff, Esq. The new Directive is the culmination of more than a year of work by Seattle University Clinical Law Professor, Lisa Brodoff, and Compassion & Choices of Washington’s Executive Director, Robb Miller, who read Professor Brodoff’s 2009 Elder Law Journal article, “Planning for Alzheimer’s with Mental Health Advance Directives,” and then proposed a collaboration. Our new Directive has been reviewed by elder law attorneys, geriatric care managers, psychologists, and other experts who have experience assisting, supporting, treating, and providing services to people and families dealing with Alzheimer’s or dementia. It was recently endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association Western and Central State Chapter. The new Compassion & Choices of Washington Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Mental Health Advance Directive is available at no charge from our website or by calling our office. the robb report board of directors Terry Barnett, Esq. Joanne Brekke-Selk Sheila Cook, Editor Gretchen DeRocheE ditor Robert A. Free, Esq., Treasurer Richard Gibson, MDiv Judith Gordon, PhD Nick Harrison Arline Hinckley, ACSW, Secretary Soojin E. Kim, Esq. Midge Levy, ACSW, Vice President Catherine L. Longhi, President B. Kirk Robinson Patricia Simpson, MDiv Thomas Smith, MD Richard B. Stuart, DSW, ABPP Maryanne Vandervelde, PhD Advisory Committee Michael Bonacci, MFA Jonathan Gavrin, MD Steven Ginsberg, MD Christopher Henderson, Esq. Molly Hoffman, MSW Trudy James, MRE Anson Laytner, MHL, MNPL Carin Mack, MSW, ACSW Len Mandelbaum, Esq. Rusty Myers, LICSW Paul V. O’Donnell, MD, PhD Fred Simons, PharmD Steven Schindler, Esq. Virginia Stout, MA, PhD Doreen Tarr, CA Jinny Tesik, MA Jane B. Tornatore, PhD, LMFT Staff Robb Miller, Executive Director Kathryn Jans, MDiv, Associate Director Jenny Ruff, Administrative Associate Kate White Tudor, Esq., Lobbyist provides this newsletter to you as part of our educational outreach. If you would like to help defray publication costs, donations are gratefully accepted. Compassion & Choices of Washington If your name is printed incorrectly, you wish to stop receiving the newsletter, or you are receiving duplicate copies, please let us know. Printed on recycled paper. 2 206.256.1636 toll-free 877.222.2816 As more mergers between Washington’s secular and Catholic hospitals occur, the Catholic Ethical and Religious Directives (ERDs) for health care are being questioned and scrutinized. The ERDs affirm Catholic ethical standards of behavior and provide “authoritative” guidance on moral issues. They apply to all patients receiving care at Catholic facilities regardless of their religious beliefs, lack of religious beliefs, or the wishes of their health care agents and family. The ERDs have been around for a long time, and all physicians and other medical providers employed by Catholic systems are required to sign a statement agreeing to abide by them. The interpretation of the ERDs is confusing for providers, patients, and community members trying to assess the impact the ERDs will have on their health care. For example, Directive #61 states: “...Patients experiencing suffering that cannot be alleviated should be helped to appreciate the Christian understanding of redemptive suffering.” Can you imagine how a Secular Humanist, Jew, or Unitarian who is dying with unmanageable pain might respond to such so-called counseling? Although their policies related to the Washington Death With Dignity Act (DWDA) are among the worst, Washington’s Catholic-employed hospice and palliative (comfort) care providers are among the best at managing dying patients’ pain and symptoms. Franciscan, a division of Catholic Health initiatives, has been a leader in palliative medicine in Washington for decades. The medieval language in ERD #61 must make them cringe. On the other hand, some ERDs about procedures deemed by the church to be immoral are bright lines that cannot be crossed. ERD #60 states: “…Catholic health care institutions may never condone or participate in euthanasia or assisted suicide in any way.” This ERD is the basis of anti-patient-centered policies adopted by Providence that seek to quash any discussion of the option of aid in dying and strictly forbids an continued on page 4 [email protected] www.CompassionWA.org welcome new board members Soojin E. Kim, Esq Maryanne Vandervelde, PhD Nick Harrison Soojin served on our Board from 2006-2008, was a volunteer for the Initiative 1000 (Death With Dignity) Campaign, and recently rejoined the Board. She is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law and is a practicing attorney who has worked in both the private and public sectors in real estate, municipal, and labor law. In 2005, she was honored by being named an Outstanding Young Lawyer by the Washington State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers’ Division. As part of her outreach efforts and pro bono work, Soojin has organized legal clinics and presentations on advance planning. Maryanne is a psychologist who earned her master’s from the University of California at Berkeley and her PhD from the University of Washington. Her psychology career includes clinical work in five teaching hospitals, private practice, consulting and organizational development for major corporations, many articles, and media experience. She is a therapist and has been an administrator of medical and psychiatric programs, a human resources consultant, public speaker, and has taught at several universities. She is also the author of three acclaimed books, including Retirement for Two, which helps those dealing with retirement confront the unique challenges associated with this stage of life. After six years as a journalist, Nick developed a keen interest in commercial aviation and has had a successful career in air travelrelated management positions, including as a station manager for an international airline and in his current position as an airport operations manager. He became interested in end-of-life issues when he faced the challenge of informing people about the traumatic death of loved ones. Soojin dates the start of her interest in death and dying when she learned about the Karen Ann Quinlan decision while she was in middle school. Her interest intensified when she witnessed the sad decline of a beloved aunt diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). In 2006 she saw a description of Compassion & Choices of Washington in the King County Bar Bulletin and realized that our organization closely fit her interests in civil liberties and patient autonomy at the end of life. Soojin is a strong advocate of reaching out to younger members of our community to raise their awareness, encourage them to get involved, and draw upon their energy and vitality. Maryanne has been interested in end-of-life issues since childhood and has a long-standing concern about respect for patients’ rights in medical and psychiatric institutions. She is committed to ensuring the financial stability of Compassion & Choices of Washington, promoting public awareness about end-of-life options, and motivating younger people to join our organization to assure its vitality in the future. Nick is committed to strengthening our client support services and is especially interested in issues around an individual’s right to exercise personal autonomy in health care decision-making, particularly at the end of life. He appreciates Compassion & Choices of Washington’s commitment to safeguarding Washington’s Death With Dignity law, as well as its mission to educate and build consensus in the community. We are especially grateful to him for stepping forward to become the Chair of our Major Gifts Committee. continued on page 4 compassion choices of washington spring 2013 3 continued from page 3 welcome new board members Richard B. Stuart, DSW, ABPP Dick earned his doctorate in psychology and social work at Columbia University and is a Clinical Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the University of Washington. He maintains a private therapy practice, teaches in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Washington, and is active on several nongovernmental organization (NGO) boards. He has taught for more than 50 years in college and university departments of psychology, family medicine, psychiatry, and social work. Dick is a past President of the Association for Cognitive and Behavior Therapy and is a Diplomate on the American Board of Professional Psychology. He has authored or coauthored more than 100 published studies, journal articles, and other documents, including 14 books and monographs. Parallel to his career in teaching, research, and clinical practice, he acquired extensive experience in business management and consultation, including 13 years as an executive of Weight Watchers International. He has been a member of hospital ethics committees for 40 years. It was during this time that he became committed to enhancing patient autonomy and the quality of service in health care delivery systems. Dick’s interest in autonomy and individual liberties began while he was in college during the McCarthy era. He became involved in end-of-life issues when he helped a 94-year-old uncle prepare for death by helping him assertively express his wishes. He hopes to be able to make his research skills, teaching, and organizational skills useful and believes that his participation on the Board of Compassion & Choices of Washington will lead to the most meaningful work that he has ever undertaken. continued from page 2 pl anned giving These are three ways you can help ensure that Compassion & Choices of Washington is here for future generations: • Remember Compassion & Choices of Washington in your will. • Name Compassion & Choices of Washington as your life insurance beneficiary. • Name Compassion & Choices of Washington as a beneficiary of your IRA or other qualified retirement plan. For any of these three types of gifts you will need this information: Legal Name: Compassion & Choices of Washington Address: PO Box 61369, Seattle, WA 98141-6369 Tax Status: 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization Tax ID: 91-1412987 For detailed information and assistance, contact Kathryn Jans, Associate Director, 877.222.2816 or [email protected]. 4 206.256.1636 toll-free 877.222.2816 robb report referrals, which leads to patients and their families feeling judged and abandoned. It is also the basis of Franciscan’s policy of only permitting referrals about the DWDA to the Washington Department of Health, which provides no meaningful assistance to patients. This practice of giving dying patients the “runaround” is cruel and unconscionable. Because of extremely broad interpretation of this ERD, direct referrals to Compassion & Choices of Washington, the only organization committed to ensuring that qualified patients have the option of aid in dying, are strictly prohibited by all Catholic health care providers. These kinds of inconsistencies in the application of the ERDs, and lack of clarity from representatives from Catholic systems who try to explain them, create anxiety for patients and communities that now find themselves subjected to them. What everyone needs to know about the ERDs can be summed up fairly easily: Once a patient consents to treatment at a Catholic-owned (or operated) hospital, long-term care facility, clinic, or hospice, it is theology, not science, that prevails. At Catholic facilities even secular physicians, nurses, and social workers treating secular patients are compelled to deny certain treatment options to pregnant or dying patients. [email protected] www.CompassionWA.org staff update Kathryn Jans, MDiv, Associate Director Kathryn joined the staff in May of 2012. For many years she has provided executive leadership for advocacy, human rights, social justice, and service organizations on the local, state, regional, national, and international levels. Two of her primary responsibilities at Compassion & Choices of Washington are major and planned gifts. An ordained American Baptist minister, Kathryn has also been a consultant and elected leader of many regional, national, and global interfaith and ecumenical organizations. In 2008, she collected signatures for the Initiative 1000 (Death With Dignity) Campaign. She has been a champion for excellent end-of-life care and patient autonomy for more than two decades. Jenny Ruff, Administrative Associate/Program Coordinator Jenny will be leaving us in September in order to complete her Masters of Social Work degree at the University of Washington. Jenny became a hospice volunteer while she was in high school and volunteered at an AIDS clinic in Kenya. When she became a Client Support Volunteer in late 2010, she was the youngest volunteer we ever had. Jenny stepped into a staff position after Amber Wade, MSW, resigned to become a hospice social worker. Jenny says that “volunteering and working for Compassion & Choices of Washington has been a wonderful and life-changing experience.” Although we know she will make an excellent social worker, we are very sad to see her go. Erica Wollman, future administrative associate Erica recently accepted the position of Administrative Associate and will be replacing Jenny Ruff this fall. Although currently living and working in Bellingham, she will move to Seattle to begin working in our office. Erica became interested in the issue of patient choice after watching the documentary How To Die in Oregon. She has been a Client Support Volunteer since January. In the past she was an elementary school teacher, a hiking guide in Denali, and a ski instructor in Vermont, among other interesting positions. “I have been looking for a meaningful, fulfilling work opportunity for a long time. It will be a privilege to work for an organization like Compassion & Choices of Washington.” Volunteers Needed! Are you a good listener and someone who wants to make a real difference in the lives of people and families dealing with the end of life? Do you live in Bellevue/the East Side, Centralia, Kent/Auburn/ Federal Way, Longview, Olympia, Tacoma, the TriCities, or Wenatchee? If so, Compassion & Choices of Washington and our clients need you! To begin the process of becoming a Client Support Volunteer or Volunteer Medical Director, go to our compassion choices of washington website, www.compassionwa.org, click on “Volunteer,” and download the Client Support Volunteer Application. Or call or email our office and request that we mail or email one to you. We are also looking for a Volunteer Medical Director in Central or Eastern Washington. If you are a retired or working physician who is willing to spend a few hours each week consulting with physicians who treat our clients, please let us know. spring 2013 5 from page 1 “Epidemic” of Hospital Mergers in Washington ceding operations to religious health care corporations hospices by Catholic providers is especially harmful. and include long-term taxpayer subsidies. Already two hospices that had good policies on Death With Dignity, Southwest Hospice (Vancouver) and The most recent affiliation announced is a real shocker: Highline Hospice (Tukwila), have fallen under Catholic UW Medicine and PeaceHealth will create a “strategic control, meaning they are now officially opposed to DWD. affiliation,” with details to be spelled out by the end A third hospice, Hospice of the Northwest (Mt. Vernon), of September. Surprised which has excellent, by the barrage of patient-centered policies Religiously affiliated hospitals are on track to criticism, leaders of UW on DWD, is now in control almost 50% of Washington’s acute-care Medicine acted quickly danger of falling under hospital beds. to assure critics that Catholic control. the arrangement would not limit its services, When secular/religious particularly reproductive hospital mergers take care and end-of-life serplace, secular hospitals vices barred by the are required to abide by Directives. Critics of the Ethical and Religious the affiliation were not Directives for Catholic assuaged. Compassion Health Care Services & Choices of Washington promulgated by the U.S. source : aclu believes that UW MedConference of Catholic icine’s resources should Bishops. The Directives *assumes that all known pending or proposed hospital transactions restrict access to the full between secular and religious-affiliated health care provides are approved. not advance a religious mission or fuel the range of reproductive expansion of religiously health care choices for restricted care. men and women and severely limit patients’ abilities to Q& A be informed about the option of Death With Dignity. Referrals to Compassion & Choices of Washington are Why are these mergers happening? strictly prohibited. Although there is some latitude in how the Directives are interpreted, procedures deemed by the church to be “immoral” are bright lines that cannot be crossed. “…anything making it easier for a person to end his or her own life, as Washington’s Death With Dignity Act does, would be prohibited. If you go to a Catholic medical institution, you’re going to get medical advice that is in keeping with the moral norms of that institution. We think Catholic medical advice is the best medical advice to give,” said the Rev. Thomas Weinandy, a spokesman for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It may have been inevitable that Catholic doctrine and public values would clash in Washington. In no other state have voters directly insisted on having both the right to reproductive choice, aid in dying, and same-sex marriage, which the church also opposes. Additionally, the Washington Constitution explicitly prohibits tax dollars and public property from being used to support religious establishments. Yet some of these completed and pending transactions involve public hospitals 6 206.256.1636 toll-free 877.222.2816 Upcoming health care reform measures, budget problems for the state and nation, and rising costs are pushing hospitals to consider reaching out. For small or financially troubled hospitals, the choice may be to affiliate or die. For others, linking with a larger partner with deep pockets means piggybacking on a powerful, costly electronic records system, more purchasing power, more negotiating power with health insurance providers, and better patient access to specialty care. Consolidation has become a health care industry norm. Why does this matter? More Catholic health care in Washington means that more physicians are prohibited from participating in the Death With Dignity Act, and more terminally ill patients are denied information about their legal right to aid in dying or are delayed in receiving referrals to Compassion & Choices of Washington. Denials and delays often result in patients never finding out about the law or starting the process of using the law too late, ultimately denying them the option of a death on their own terms. [email protected] www.CompassionWA.org Why are publicly funded medical providers allowed to withhold information and referrals? Religious hospitals are able to receive public funding while using religious doctrine to guide health care because of a combination of a lack of explicit standards for protecting patients’ rights and the proliferation of special government exemptions known as “refusal clauses,” which permit them to refuse to provide services that violate religious teachings. What are we doing about it? Compassion & Choices of Washington was one of the founders of the Washington Patients’ Rights Coalition, which is committed to upholding patients’ rights to receive evidence-based medical care; receive all the information necessary to make informed decisions; require referrals to alternate providers when institutional religious policies forbid the provision of needed services; and protect the rights and responsibilities of physicians and other caregivers to discuss all treatment options with their patients. On behalf of our Washington Patients’ Rights Coalition, the ACLU of Washington recently sent a letter to Governor Jay Inslee urging him to take immediate action to protect Washingtonians’ access to health care by enacting a sixmonth moratorium on any decision by the State Department of Health on proposed or pending applications related to hospital ownership, operation, or management. Gov. Inslee recently noted his concern about secular/religious hospital mergers. Washington State’s Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, has been asked to rule whether a tax-supported hospital, no matter its affiliation, is obligated to provide or refer patients for certain services. More actions, which cannot be disclosed at this time, are pending. How can you help? • Join our online eNews and action network at www.compassionwa.org/news/signup. • Pay attention to your local news. Write letters. Attend hospital board meetings and public hearings. • If you live in San Juan County, contact People for Health Care Transparency and Equity, [email protected], or Monica Harrington, Acting Chair, [email protected]. • If you live in Snohomish or Skagit County, contact People for Healthcare Freedom, www.healthcare-freedom.net, [email protected]. • If you live on Vashon Island, contact May Gerstle, [email protected], (206) 463-0974. • Support Compassion & Choices of Washington. We are the only organization in Washington upholding patients’ rights to informed consent about all legal end-of-life options, including the Washington Death With Dignity Act. Save the Date! for the 2013 Annual Meeting Keynote Speaker: Lois Uttley, MPP, Director of Merger Watch Saturday, October 26, 2013, 2-4 p.m. North Seattle Community College Cafeteria 9600 College Way N, Seattle, WA 98103 Just off the Northgate exit of I-5 with free parking. compassion choices of washington spring 2013 7 Client Support Volunteers Respond to Increased Need for Our Services Since the Washington Death With Dignity Act was enacted in early 2009, the need for our client support services has quadrupled. Fortunately, the following new volunteers have risen to this challenge and are now providing free services to our clients and their families across Washington. sedro woolley gig harbor Trish Knorpp was a minister in the United Church of Christ for three decades; 20 years as a Pastor and 10 as a hospice chaplain. Her experiences dealing with the death of both parents from Alzheimer’s disease and working as a hospice chaplain made her acutely aware of the painful struggles of patients whose spirits were ready for death but whose bodies lingered on. “Watching people die gracefully surrounded by their loved ones contrasts sharply with institutional deaths during which patients were forced to struggle, often alone.” indianol a Roger Slater retired from a fortyfive-year practice as a neurosurgeon and moved from Maui to Washington. Roger states that “witnessing the painful, protracted demise of many patients made me acutely aware of end-of-life issues.” He is profoundly committed to allowing patients’ end-of-life decisions to be driven by their own values, rather than being forced to conform to the values of others. Roger has already become a dynamic force for patient choice on the Olympic Peninsula. spok ane valley Donald Johnston had a long career in health services, including 25 years as a respiratory therapist and many years as a professor of Health Care Administration at Adams State University in Colorado where he was a Vice President. He returned to his home in Washington following his retirement. Don’s long-standing interest in end-of-life choice began while he participated in hospital code teams that resuscitated critically ill patients. “The challenges patients faced in trying to get the care they wanted, or decline the care they didn’t want, were daunting.” In addition to serving our clients east of the Cascades, he is working to overcome the lack of knowledge about the Death With Dignity Act and Compassion & Choices of Washington in lay and professional communities. 8 206.256.1636 toll-free 877.222.2816 Lee Desta worked for the federal government in three states and Ethiopia where she was a Peace Corps volunteer. After leaving the conventional workforce, she searched for a meaningful way to support her deep commitments to respecting individuals’ choices – with regard to birth control, whom to marry, and how to die – until she found Compassion & Choices of Washington. Lee has dedicated herself to our mission and our clients. “They are the most amazing people I have been privileged to know.” seat tle Laurel Harmon has many years of experience as a freelance writer, teacher of English as a Second Language, and a Chaplain. She was drawn to volunteering through her long-standing interest in choice at the end of life and her wish to find a way to use her well-honed skills as a chaplain in nonreligious ways. Laurel recently completed our Client Support Volunteer training, including accompanying experienced volunteers who were asked to be present at the time their clients elected to self-administer Death With Dignity medication. “I found those experiences to be profoundly empowering and moving.” seat tle While Jim Jorgenson was ordained as a Catholic priest, he ministered at many deaths. When he left the priesthood and did social work with people with AIDS, he became even more steeped in the culture of dying and death. Now Jim serves populations in need by being a federal grant manager for projects funding AIDS research and by volunteering as a Client Support Volunteer. Jim speaks with boundless warmth about his C&C associates and has the deepest respect for our clients. “Many of our clients are people who led deliberate lives and want to end their time on earth with equal deliberation.” [email protected] www.CompassionWA.org port townsend Lisa Bordner has many years of experience offering comfort care and complementary therapies for patients at the end of their lives, including working in hospice. She now has a private practice providing craniosacral and massage therapies and other services in Port Townsend and Seattle. “I became a volunteer because I believe the work of Compassion & Choices of Washington honors the end-of-life choices made by those who are dying. I am humbled by the opportunity to experience the process of making and implementing end-of-life decisions with my clients.” seat tle Lauren Shimek is an RN who works in the Intensive Care Unit at the University of Washington Medical Center. Having observed many deaths in hospitals when key decisions were no longer in patients’ hands, she searched for an opportunity help restore choice to those coping with life-ending conditions. Lauren reports that “clients and their families have warmly welcomed me into their lives and homes and expressed a deep gratitude for the services Compassion & Choices of Washington provides.” n e w b o o k by tom preston In Doctor, Please Help Me Die, Compassion & Choices of Washington’s Senior Volunteer Medical Director, retired cardiologist, and author, Tom Preston, MD, traces the history of patients seeking relief from suffering at the end of life. He discusses how cultural and professional customs have inhibited many doctors from helping their patients die on their own terms. Dr. Preston presents a strong argument for why every citizen who is dying ought to be extended an inalienable right to die peacefully, and why every physician has an ethical obligation to assist patients who want to exercise this right safely, securely, and painlessly. seat tle Ann Duecy Norman volunteered at Planned Parenthood for decades and was also on Planned Parenthood’s national board. The AIDS epidemic inspired her to earn a Master’s in Public Health and a PhD in Social Work and Public Health. After completing her studies, she conducted research on AIDS prevention. Like many of our volunteers, Ann witnessed the difficult deaths of loved ones. “I am committed to helping our clients have the kind of death they want, sparing them as much unnecessary pain and suffering as possible.” Thank you Zeeks Pizz a! for providing free pizza and salad at our monthly volunteer meeting. Zeeks has provided generous inkind support to C&C for more than 10 years. Please patronize their restaurants: www.zeekspizza.com or 206-285-TOGO. compassion choices of washington Doctor, Please Help Me Die is available from Amazon.com, iUniverse.com, and other online bookstores. spok ane Roger Imes returned to volunteering for Compassion & Choices of Washington after a year-and-a-half break. Originally from Wales, Roger is a former journalist and retired professional photographer. He now helps his wife operate a natural health foods store in Spokane. Roger had been a hospice volunteer for 15 years before deciding to volunteer for the organization that – in Roger’s words – “deals with the issue of patients wanting to have control over their dying in a more honest, open way.” When Roger first started volunteering, there were almost no local physicians willing to participate in the Death With Dignity Act, a source of great frustration to him and his clients. Fortunately, a few Spokane-area physicians are now supporting patients who want the option of Death With Dignity. spring 2013 9 new advisory commit tee members Christopher M. Henderson, Esq. We are very pleased to announce that elder law attorney Chris Henderson, Esq, has joined our advisory board. Chris earned a Bachelor of Science degree in symbolic systems (the study of the human-computer relationship) at Stanford University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Washington School of Law, where he had the distinction of having been elected to the Law Review. He began his career in legal finance, but, when two extended family members were stricken with Alzheimer’s disease, his interest shifted to elder law and guardianship. We are already benefitting from Chris’s vast knowledge and expertise. His recent reviews of, and contributions to, our new Alzheimer’s and Dementia Mental Health Advance Directive were invaluable. If you or someone you know needs the services of an elder law, disability, or estate planning attorney in the greater Seattle area, we highly recommend him. Please call our office for a referral. Carin Mack, MSW, ACSW Carin knew from the start of her career that she would devote her life to working with the elderly. Since becoming a social worker in 1970, she has worked in many health settings. She currently works as a geriatric social worker at the Greenwood Senior Center where she provides individual counseling and has developed many innovative programs such as the Alzheimer’s Café, where people with dementia can have precious social experiences. She also leads several support groups in the Seattle area for the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation, where patients are helped to combat memory loss and their caregivers receive vital support. She worked tirelessly for the passage of the Washington Death With Dignity Act and brings that enthusiasm, energy, and creativity to her work on our Advisory Committee. Jane B. Tornatore, PhD, LMFT Jane earned a Master’s in Human Development at the University of Illinois and a PhD in Family Social Science and Family Therapy at the University of Minnesota. For more than two decades she has been involved in research on dementia and aging, studying challenges to family caregivers and the needs of people needing assisted living. Jane has been a care consultant for the Alzheimer’s Association and currently maintains a very highly regarded individual and group therapy practice that serves individuals, couples, and families who are dealing with illnesses and conditions that result in the loss of mental capacity, as well as depression, anxiety, and issues around life transitions. Jane believes that Compassion & Choices of Washington offers a number of “stunning” services, not the least of which is providing those with terminal and incurable illnesses an opportunity to discuss life and death issues. She is committed to using her considerable talents to help us help our clients make profoundly important end-of-life treatment decisions. Jane is also a skilled presenter who is committed to helping overcome the public phobia about discussing death by framing it as an aspect of living. 10 206.256.1636 toll-free 877.222.2816 [email protected] www.CompassionWA.org In Memoriam: Two Champions for End of Life Choice Two champions for end-of-life-choice recently died: former two-term Governor of Washington, Booth Gardner, and longtime Washington political consultant, Blair Butterworth. Booth, who was one of the leaders of the Initiative 1000 Campaign, and Blair, who was the political consultant for I-1000, were two major reasons why the Campaign passed in 2008 with nearly 60 percent of the vote in all but nine of Washington’s 39 counties. In 2006 Booth said, “People like me, they respect me, and they will get behind me on this issue. For those who have been working on this issue for a number of years, they’ve got a figurehead.” But Booth, who died of complications from Parkinson’s disease, was much more than just the public face of I-1000. His high profile, prodigious fundraising efforts, public speaking (which was very challenging due to Parkinson’s), and the leadership provided by his longtime friend and associate, Laird Harris, all played a significant part in our victory. Booth Gardner In addition to ensuring the passage of I-1000, Blair Butterworth served for nearly four decades as a Democratic political consultant and strategist for several Washington governors, Congressman Jim McDermott, and other initiative campaigns. He was well known for his campaign smarts and colorful quotes. In a letter to Compassion & Choices of Washington’s executive director, Robb Miller, letting him know that he was terminally ill with esophageal cancer, Blair Butterworth Blair wrote that “one of the best campaigns I helped guide to victory was Washington’s Death With Dignity Law.” Thanks to a request that memorial gifts be made to Compassion & Choices of Washington, we received many generous contributions in Blair’s honor. We are deeply grateful to Booth and Blair for their legacies of legal aid in dying in Washington. You Met the $50,000 Challenge! Thanks to hundreds of generous donors, we reached our goal of raising $50,000 by June 30. This means that our donor who initiated the $50,000 Challenge will match that amount for a grand total of $100,000 to Compassion & Choices of Washington. We deeply appreciate our Challenge donor and the many supporters who made it possible for us to acquire this major gift. Thank you! compassion choices of washington Special Thanks To: Our dedicated volunteer, Mary Watson, LPN, who recently resigned after more than two decades of service on our Board of Directors, Advisory Committee, and Speaker’s Committee. Her wholehearted commitment to our organization and the people we serve is deeply appreciated. Our progressive foundation donors: The Chester Woodruff Foundation, Dudley Foundation, Riverstyx Foundation, and Transformation Fund. Mike Summy, CPA, for the ongoing technical support for the donation-tracking/mailing list software valued at $20,000 that he donated to us, and for going beyond the call of duty providing technical support for our client database. A&A Printing, Inc., for providing a 15% discount on all of our printing (206-285-1700, www. aaprinting.com, located on Lower Queen Anne, Seattle). Our new Advisory Committee Members, Chris Henderson, Esq., Carin Mack, MSW, ACSW, and Jane Tornatore, PhD, LMFT, for reviewing our new Alzheimer’s Disease and Mental Health Advance Direc tive and providing invaluable advice. Eddie Aquino for many hours of free, invaluable IT support in our office. University of Washington law student, Evan Carden, for volunteering to do legal research. spring 2013 11 Non-Profit Organization US Postage pa i d Seattle, WA Permit #1446 in this issue epidemic of hospital mergers 1 new alzheimer’s directive 1 robb report 2 welcome new board members 3 planned giving 4 staff update 5 save the date new client support volunteers 7 8 new advisory committee members 10 11 in memoriam Director of MergerWatch to be Keynote Speaker at 2013 Annual Meeting This year our keynote speaker will be Lois Uttley, MPP, the Director of MergerWatch, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting patients’ rights and access to care when nonreligious hospitals are proposing mergers with religious health systems. For more than 16 years, she has assisted community-based coalitions (including our Washington Patients’ Rights Coalition) in fighting more than 60 proposed religious/secular hospital mergers in 25 states. Lois has more than 30 years of professional experience, including having served as President of the Public Health Association of New York City; Director of Public Affairs at the New York State Department of Health; and Vice 12 206.256.1636 toll-free 877.222.2816 President of Family Planning Advocates of New York State. She earned a Master’s in Public Affairs and Policy from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany, and was a National Urban Fellow. MergerWatch is very actively involved in Washington, which is the epicenter of religious mergers in the United States. Lois says that “In the 15 years we have been tracking religious/secular hospital mergers, we have never seen so many active cases in one state.” Don’t miss the opportunity to hear this national expert talk about the challenges of ensuring that patients’ rights come first. Please note: Our 2013 annual meeting will be held at a new, spacious location, at the North Seattle Community College’s cafeteria. Parking is free and refreshments will be provided. [email protected] www.CompassionWA.org