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
info@CompassionWA.org 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
kjans@compassionwa.org.
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.
info@CompassionWA.org 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.
info@CompassionWA.org 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, islandersignatures@hotmail.com,
or Monica Harrington, Acting Chair, monicah428@gmail.com.
• If you live in Snohomish or Skagit County, contact People for Healthcare Freedom, www.healthcare-freedom.net,
info@healthcare-freedom.net.
• If you live on Vashon Island, contact May Gerstle, jamger@comcast.net, (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.”
info@CompassionWA.org 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 info@CompassionWA.org 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.
info@CompassionWA.org www.CompassionWA.org