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Stand with Us for End-of-Life Choice

4/25/2025

 

​In 2016 when Act 39 was attacked by a lawsuit brought by the Christian Medical and Dental Society, Patient Choices Vermont was here to defend your rights. Today, amid the turmoil and disruption in the national and world news, and yes, the outright attacks on medical aid in dying and other rights of bodily autonomy, PCV is here boldly standing for the right to retain a measure of control toward the end of life. 

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This is the choice we have established; this is the choice we defend; this is the choice we work to enable and streamline. For me. For you. For your family and loved ones. For now. Forever.
 
Needless to say, I consider it a huge honor to be serving as PCV’s Executive Director. It is doubly rewarding because a core part of this job is to enhance and defend rights to bodily autonomy and personal decision-making toward the end of life, both of which are fundamental freedoms that I treasure.

PCV is widely recognized as the
trusted steward of medical aid in dying in Vermont.
Please click to join me and support this vital work.
Please consider a donation of $60 or, if you are able, $200, $500, or $1,000.
You can donate by mail or online at PatientChoices.org/Donate.
PCV is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Your contributions are tax-deductible.

Patient Choices Vermont is the only organization in Vermont focused on supporting and enhancing end-of-life autonomy and choice. Your contribution is your best chance at ensuring that right endures.
 
At the top of our agenda this year is to take a close look at how Act 39 is working for both individuals and medical providers and developing a plan for improvements. PCV’s Policy Team taps the expertise of board members, advisory board members and our medical team as we carefully consider updating the law.  
 
This year, we are solidifying and building our teams of volunteers as well as our relationships with collaborating organizations so that our networks are strong and resilient. I deeply appreciate the many generous and effective volunteers who, like me, have been attracted to this team and who do so much to enhance our operations. 

Our Volunteer Medical Team will provide training to a wide range of medical and hospice professionals. Our Helpline Team, which includes individuals with a combination of nursing and hospice background, provides personal guidance to more than 1,000 people each year. Our Outreach Team, which includes our Program Manager and me, our media specialist, and many volunteers in the field will connect with groups at community centers, libraries and churches.  The Wayfinders Network, launched by PCV last year, walks hand in hand with those navigating end-of-life choices offering personal assistance to the seriously ill and their loved ones.
 
You, too, are part of this community, expressing your dedication to end-of-life choice through the conversations you have with friends and by keeping up to date and informed via our newsletter and through the videos and wealth of information on our website. And, of course, your donations help PCV support the thousands of individuals who are facing very personal decisions as well as the medical and hospice professionals that serve them.

Thank you for making PCV a priority this spring!
“The work you are doing is spectacular, and so vital. My wife is struggling with progressive supranuclear palsy. We are researching humane end of life options and found your site, by far, the most informative and helpful.”  ~~ From one of our 23,000 website users.  

​With your donation, you will have an important local impact while also influencing end-of-life policies across the country.  You will be helping to ensure a deeply personal right of bodily autonomy and self-determination.  

What a gift this organization is to people who are seeking trusted information about end-of-life options.  Every one of us will enter that time when we will want to consider these choices.  Together, let’s make sure that everyone has access to accurate and complete information and the freedom to exercise personal autonomy, whether we choose medical aid in dying or not.  

With appreciation,
​Amy Bruce
Executive Director

Vermont Advance Directive Week

4/16/2025

 

Springtime is slowly creeping into our Vermont landscape with the sun’s rays feeling stronger every day. It’s such a dynamic time of year which brings to mind the old adage, "The only constant in life is change."


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Death is Inevitable, Suffering may be Optional

4/14/2025

 
Death Differently and Porter Medical Center’s Palliative Care Department formerly led by Dr. Diana Barnard is pleased to co-sponsor the Vermont premiere screening of the documentary Other Side, directed by Heather Hogan and Carter Oakley. This important film will be screened at the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury on Thursday, May 1, beginning at 5:30 PM.

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Progress and Challenges in End-Of-Life Choice

3/31/2025

 
As I settle into my new role as Executive Director at Patient Choices Vermont (PCV), I am struck by two things: Vermonters are a hardy bunch, and Vermonters are so very kind. Our volunteers demonstrate both of these qualities every day, stepping up to support individuals who are struggling in their end-of-life journey, offering compassionate guidance at this poignant time in life.

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Advocacy in Action: New Hampshire's Journey Towards MAiD

2/12/2025

 
We recently had the privilege of supporting our neighbors in New Hampshire when attending the NH House Judiciary Committee hearing on the New Hampshire End of Life Freedom Act, HB254. Patient Choices Vermont (PCV) President Betsy Walkerman and former Vermont Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman joined hundreds of others in providing oral and written testimony in support of this bi-partisan bill.

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How to help our friends in New Hampshire by supporting HB254

1/23/2025

 
We’re excited to let you know about progress being made right now to make medical aid in dying legal in our neighboring state of New Hampshire. The New Hampshire End of Life Freedom Act, HB254, will be heard by the New Hampshire House Judiciary Committee on January 29. We invite you to join Patient Choices Vermont (PCV) in support of this critical, bi-partisan legislation.

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PCV Launches 2025 with Medical Education

1/16/2025

 

Patient Choices Vermont Board Member Dr. Diana Barnard launched the year with a presentation to more than 100 participants as part of Dartmouth Health’s medical education program, Palliative Care ECHO 4.0: Improving Care for Those with Serious Illness. Palliative care clinicians play a vital role in managing complex symptoms, collaborating with patients and families to establish care aligned with the individual's goals, and enhancing the quality of life for those facing serious illnesses. In her presentation, Dr. Barnard underscored the critical importance of informing all medical professionals about the option of medical aid in dying and equipping them with the conversational tools necessary to honor patient values.

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Dr. Diana Barnard

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A ‘Fly-on-the-Wall’ Perspective on the Present Moment at PCV

12/30/2024

 
I am one of those mainly anonymous people who make the work of Patient Choices Vermont possible. Like you, I know how much better I feel knowing that medical aid in dying (MAID) is available to me and my loved ones. Like many of you, I regularly donate money to PCV to help ensure that this right remains legally available and, as importantly, becomes available in practice to more and more people as time goes on. ​

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Exciting News: Welcome Amy Bruce!

12/18/2024

 

​On behalf of the Patient Choices Vermont (PCV) Board of Directors, I am pleased to announce that we have appointed Amy Bruce as PCV's new Executive Director.

The PCV Board has been planning this transition for the past year in light of the dramatic growth in demand for PCV's services. The volume, breadth, and nuances of our work clearly require this important step as we work to ensure the availability of end-of-life choice for the long-term.


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Help Us With the Knitting on Giving Tuesday

11/25/2024

 
This serene image, "Helping with the Knitting" by Vermont artist Chris Billis, beautifully captures the essence of our work at Patient Choices Vermont. We knit together networks of healthcare professionals, we untangle complexities so that people facing end-of-life decisions can find a path forward, and we seek peaceful endings for those we support. ​

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  • Home
  • News
  • About Act 39
    • Text of Act 39
    • Act 39 Overview
    • PCV Guides and Resources
    • S.74 Amendments - Summary >
      • Text of S.74
    • Residency Issue
  • Resources
    • Guide to Medical Aid in Dying and End-of-Life Decision-Making
    • How to Talk to Your Doctor About Act 39
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Guide to Medical Decision-Making
    • Guide to Advance Care Planning for Dementia
    • Wayfinders Network
    • Book Reviews
  • Clinician's Guide
  • For Non-Residents
  • VIDEOS
    • Your Stories
  • Workshops
  • About PCV
    • Corporate & Finance
    • Leadership
    • Advisors and Key Volunteers
    • Founders
  • Donate
  • Contact