PORT ANGELES — The League of Women Voters of Clallam County will present information and host a community discussion with a panel of local providers and experts on end of life care and options on Sunday.
Also discussed will be the legal and ethical concerns surrounding end of life decisions.
The presentation will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Little Theater on the Port Angeles Peninsula College campus at 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
Admission is free. Donations will be accepted at the all-volunteer event.
Washington state enacted the Death with Dignity Law in 2008, but there are still hurdles to overcome for those seeking Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) for themselves or for loved ones, in accordance with their desires in Clallam County, organizers said.
“Many are unaware that religiously-owned and operated healthcare facilities — which includes 50 percent of hospitals in Washington state — may not offer MAiD,” organizers said in a press release.
End of Life Washington (EOLWA) will cover the criteria and steps necessary to access MAiD under the state’s Death with Dignity law.
Then the panel of local experts and providers will address the differences between palliative care and hospice care, the goals of each, and the impact of ethical directives regarding access to MAiD.
An audience question-and-answer period will follow the discussion.
Panelists are:
• Paul Cunningham, MD and CMO of Jamestown Family Health.
• Sandy Ulf, Hospice RN, retired from Olympic Medical Center, instructor and end of life doula.
• Joshua Jones, MD and CPO of Olympic Medical Providers.
• Cassa Sutherland, client services manager for End Of Life Washington.
The event will be moderated by Norma Turner, a former hospice and public health nurse.
The League of Women Voters is a national nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote the informed and active participation of citizens in government.
