We know from Vermont Department of Health data and from our own helpline experience, that the number of people who are considering or using medical aid in dying in Vermont has tripled over the past two years. Patient Choices Vermont (PCV) is the only organization focused on ensuring that aid in dying is a viable and accessible option in Vermont for the long term. Please consider a donation of $60 or, if you are able, $200, $500, or 1,000. Your support helps:
Or mail a check to: Patient Choices Vermont PO Box 671 Shelburne, VT 05482 PCV is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Your contributions are tax-deductible. 14,000 people have already viewed the PCV non-resident information page, This carefully-crafted guide helps people through conversations with their own doctors while laying out the practicalities of seeking aid in dying in Vermont.
With your help, Patient Choices Vermont serves many thousands of people:
Behind each of these clicks and calls, is a real person seeking honest, accurate information about critical life decisions. Just having the option of aid in dying opens a whole new level of sensitivity to personal choice and autonomy. Our small staff and growing team of volunteers is very strategic. Still, we know that there are many people in our community who don’t know or have misinformation about aid in dying. Together, let’s make sure that everyone has access to the kind of end-of-life care they want. Your gift will have a ripple effect across the community. With appreciation, Betsy J. Walkerman, Esq., President Big Step in New Hampshire | End of Life Options Act to be heard by House of Representatives3/12/2024 For the first time ever, a medical-aid-in-dying bill is making its way through the New Hampshire legislature. On Tuesday, the New Hampshire House Judiciary Committee voted 13-7 to recommend that HB1283, the NH End of Life Options Act, be heard by the full House of Representatives. A vote could happen as soon as two weeks from now.
A medical aid in dying law similar to Vermont’s Act 39 has been introduced in the New Hampshire legislature. A hearing is scheduled before the NH House Judiciary Committee on February 7.
“Medical aid and dying is so centrally important to my soul and to my peace of mind and to ending this one beautiful and amazing life the way I want it to end.” - Lynda Bluestein The Vermont Department of Health has just released its report on medical aid in dying for the period of July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023. This bi-annual report offers statistics indicating that access to Medical Aid in Dying in Vermont has expanded in recent years.
For the past five years, Patient Choices Vermont (PCV) has been fortunate to have retired nurse Toni Kaeding as one of our principal volunteers. As the main voice on our Helpline, Toni has offered more than 750 callers clear information, expert guidance, and a sympathetic ear. We are pleased to have recognized Toni’s outstanding work at a recent PCV board meeting. As a token of our appreciation for her many contributions, we sent Toni a pair of made-in-Vermont Darn Tough Socks. Profits from this special ‘Sweet as Syrup’ sock promotion provide meals to the Vermont Foodbank. We are pleased to announce that on July 14, 2023, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed House Bill 2279, removing the residency restriction from Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act.
Please help us stay ahead of the curve. Donate today.On May 2nd, as a result of PCV's research, education and advocacy, the State of Vermont removed the residency requirement from our medical aid in dying law.
This landmark change is a huge step forward for compassion and end-of-life choice. Now, any patient who meets the requirements listed in Act 39 can come to Vermont to apply for this important option. In a huge step for compassion at the end of life, the State of Vermont has just opened the option of medical aid in dying to people regardless of where they live.
Removal of the Act 39 residency restriction is far more than a political victory. The overwhelming support in the legislature and signature by the Governor demonstrate how, together, we have accomplished a pivotal shift in cultural attitudes toward end-of-life choice here in Vermont. Since the founding of PCV twenty-one years ago, medical aid in dying has become a widely valued and respected option in the continuum of end-of-life care. Vermont’s Action Will Help Terminally Ill Adults in Other States Access Peaceful Dying Option Advocates for improving end-of-life care options for terminally ill adults praised the Vermont legislature and Governor Phil Scott (R-Vt.) for becoming the first state to remove the residency requirement from its medical aid-in-dying law.
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