Patient Choices Vermont
  • 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
    • Book Reviews
  • VIDEOS
  • Events
  • About PCV
    • Overview
    • Leadership
    • Advisors
    • Founders
    • History
    • Tributes
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Clinician's Guide

Celebrating the Seventh Anniversary of Act 39

5/20/2020

1 Comment

 
Today we mark the seventh anniversary of Vermont’s End-of-Life Choice Law (Act 39). 
 
The signing ceremony was the culmination of many years of work.
Since 2013 countless people have benefited from having greater choice and control near the end of life. Vermont’s example has been followed in California, Colorado, Hawaii, D.C., New Jersey and Maine so that now 23% of Americans have access to medical aid in dying.
 
Here in Vermont, we successfully fought off early legislative attempts to weaken Act 39 and a major lawsuit challenging the law. Patient Choices Vermont (PCV) has been instrumental in educating doctors, nurses, hospice organizations and the public. Whereas in the early years, many of the calls to our hotline were from people desperate to find a prescribing doctor, today there are many doctors who know the process, assist their patients, and coach their colleagues who may be working under Act 39 for the first time. 
 
Recently we've been so pleased to be contacted by a number of patients, physicians and hospice workers along the Connecticut River Valley, from Brattleboro to White River Junction and Norwich who are successfully navigating the process. Just a few years ago patients in these areas were mostly calling to report that they couldn't find doctors to assist them through the Act 39 process. Today some of the calls are from doctors who are prescribing, from doctors who are in the Dartmouth Hitchcock network but practice in Vermont serving Act 39 patients, and from hospice workers who are facilitating the process. We are also pleased that the compounding pharmacy in Rutland, a primary supplier of Act 39 medications, is personally delivering state-wide so that patients meet the pharmacist and receive instructions. 
 
Despite this progress, a great many Vermonters do not yet know that Act 39 exists. It is still unusual for doctors who are caring for the terminally ill to inform their patients about medical aid in dying, unless the patient asks. Only then, do most doctors begin to learn the details of the Act 39 process. This is why it's vital for Patient Choices Vermont to continue educating individuals, communities, and their medical professionals.
 
We want to thank all of you who have shared PCV information with your neighbors and helped us organize educational sessions. 
 
In this time and with so many other pressing community needs, we are postponing our usual spring fundraising activities until the fall. Nevertheless, if you feel inspired, please support Patient Choices Vermont with your contribution.
Click to Donate
As always, we are here if you or your friends need our advice or assistance.
 
With best regards,
Betsy J. Walkerman, President
1 Comment
assignment help link
9/30/2021 01:12:11 am

People who are working in each all areas got instruction cautiously to be qualified to serve the general public. This is the motivation behind why instruction is so huge for every single individual on the planet.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Events
    Media Coverage
    News
    Newsletters

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    August 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    May 2016
    May 2015


    Patient Choices Vermont
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • 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
    • Book Reviews
  • VIDEOS
  • Events
  • About PCV
    • Overview
    • Leadership
    • Advisors
    • Founders
    • History
    • Tributes
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Clinician's Guide