PCV Board Member Dr. Diana Barnard has been named Associate Professor at the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine, UVM. Congratulations are in order to Dr. Barnard on her promotion to Associate Professor at UVM’s Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine. Dr. Barnard has served on the board of Patient Choices Vermont for more than 15 years. She has worked persistently to educate legislators and the public about medical aid in dying, palliative care and hospice, all of which were critical to the ultimate passage of Vermont’s Act 39 in 2013. Photo by Carolyn Bates During the early years of the PCV campaign, she spent many days in public hearings, and provided the key practicing physician’s voice on our board to shape the language, presentation, and specifics of the law. In the Vermont hearings Dr. Barnard’s testimony was so clear and direct that she was recruited by the national organization Compassion & Choices to testify in New York, Hawaii (successful passage) and Alaska based on her experience with end-of-life medical practice and Vermont’s Act 39. She was also recruited to appear in training videos that are part of Compassion & Choices Doc-to-Doc program.
Since the passage of Act 39, Dr. Barnard has focused on education of the public and doctors in Vermont. Each year she has given both formal and informal educational sessions at hospitals, for medical groups, for hospice organizations and at conferences. As PCV’s primary doctor “on call,” she responds to requests from other Vermont doctors for coaching on how to navigate Act 39 discussions, and is Vermont’s resident expert on medical assessments, medications and instructions in connection with medical aid in dying. She is a strong educator, representing the medical profession, and always putting the patient first. |
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