Revolution Hall, Portland
1300 SE Stark St. Portland, OR 97214

Videos of the February 2023 conference sessions are available at this link.
You can view the videos without cost. As of June 2, 2023, nurses, social workers, and physicians will be able to obtain continuing education credits by taking a pre-video-quiz, watching the videos, and taking a post-video-quiz. See this link for details.


Welcome Reception: February 16, 2023, Thursday, 7 to 9pm.

Arium Ballroom at The Jupiter NEXT Hotel
900 East Burnside St., Portland, 97214


Revolution Hall
1300 SE Stark St. Portland, OR 97214

Day one: February 17, 2023. Friday

7:30 to 8:45: Doors open for registration, continental breakfast, meet colleagues, find seats before 8:45 start of conference.

8:45 to 8:50 (5 min): Housekeeping

8:50 to 9:00 (10 min) Welcome/Introduction
Peg Sandeen, PhD, MSW

CEO, Death with Dignity
Conference Co-chair

9:00 to 9:50 (50 min) Keynote — Some Myths about Aid in Dying
Lonny Shavelson, MD

Chair, American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying
Conference Co-chair

9:50 to 10:10 (20 min) State Differences — Present and Future Legal Considerations
Thaddeus Mason Pope, JD, Ph.D., HEC-C

Health Law Professor and Bioethicist
Health Law Institute at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota

10:10 to 11:05 (55 min) Hospices and Aid in Dying — A land of many journeys
Presenter/Moderator: Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN

Hospice nurse
Director of Nurse Education, American Clinicians Academy on Aid in Dying
Panel:
Lisa Stolarczyk, MD
High Desert Hospice, New Mexico
Hope Wechkin, MD
Evergreen Hospice, Washington.
Deborah North, MD
Hospice of the Northwest, Washington
Pamela Brown, RN
Eden Hospice, Montana
Gregg VandeKieft, MD
Palliative Care /Hospice
Providence St. Peter Hospital
Olympia, Washington

11:05 to 11:30 (25 min) Break. Refreshments.

11:30 to 12:25 (55 min) Prognostic Dilemmas in Aid in Dying
Presenter/Moderator:
Kelly McCann, MD, PhD. Medical Oncologist

Assistant Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles
Prognostic evaluations for cancer patients receiving targetted/advanced therapies
Panel:
Lynette Cederquist, MD
Palliative Care, University of California San Diego Health
A look at the diversity of situations in prognostic evaluations
Stephanie Marquet, MD
Hospice East Bay, Pleasant Hill, California
The differences and similarities between a hospice prognosis and an aid-in-dying prognosis
Katalin Roth, MD, JD.
Professor, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine,
GW Medical Faculty Associates. Washington, DC
Prognostic evaluations for the extreme elderly

12:25 to 1:25 (60 min) Lunch

1:25 to 2:20 (55 min) Medical Aid in Dying for ALS: Navigating Complexities from Prognosis to Ingestion
Presenter/Moderator: Kara Bischoff, MD

Palliative Care. University of California San Francisco
Panel:
Christina Vaughan, MD
Neuropalliative Care. Associate Professor, Neurology. University of Colorado School of Medicine
Ryan Spielvogel, MD
Core Faculty, Sutter Family Medicine Program, Sacramento, California.
Medical Director, Sutter End of Life Option Act Services
Deborah Armstrong, JD
New Mexico. Co-author, Elizabeth Whitefield End-of-Life Options Act
Audra Hindes, MS
Vice President, Care Services. ALS Association Golden West Chapter

2:20 to 3:15 (55 min) Clinician Attendance on the Aid-in-Dying day — Doctors, nurses, volunteers, end-of-life doulas, hospice staff
Presenter/Moderator: Chris Fruitrich

Volunteer, End of Life Washington
Volunteer Systems Advisor, American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying
Panel:
Janie Rakow

End-of-Life Doula. New Jersey
Director of End-of-Life Doula Education, American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying
Cofounder, FareWell Doula
Gabrielle Jimenez, LVN, CHPLN
Mission Hospice, California
Nurse, End-of-Life Doula, educator, author
Joel Rosen, MD
Family Medicine, Santa Fe Mobile MD, New Mexico
Ani Sinclair, MA
Volunteer, End of Life Choices Oregon; Educator; Team Leader

3:15 to 3:40 (25 min) Break. Refreshments.

3:40 to 4:35 (55 min) The Pharmacology of Aid in Dying, and a Red Flags Update
Carol Parrot, MD End of Life Washington
Lonny Shavelson, MD American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying

4:35 to 5:30 (55 min) Ethical Challenges of Aid in Dying: Case discussions by members of the Ethics Consultation Service, American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying

Moderator: Jeanne Kerwin, DMH, HEC-C
Consultant in Bioethics and Palliative Care
Former Member, New Jersey State Advisory Council on End-of-Life Care
Panel:
Constance Holden, RN, MSN
Chair, Ethics Consultation Team, Boulder Community Health, Colorado

Margaret Pabst Battin, PhD, MFA.
Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Adjunct Professor of Internal Medicine
Center for Health Ethics, Arts and Humanities, University of Utah

Yvette Vieira, MMH, HEC-C
Manager, Palliative Care and Bioethics, Atlantic Health System, New Jersey

Charles Miller, MD.
Medical oncologist, Internist and geriatrician.
Member, Board of Directors, Hawaii Society of Clinical Oncology.
Director of Kaiser Hawaii Aid-in-Dying Program.

Case 1: A patient pursues Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) to be able to meet eligibility for aid in dying

Case 2: Should a patient be required to relinquish aid-in-dying medications if the provider believes they no longer meet eligibility for aid in dying due to a change in life expectancy (greater than 6-month prognosis)

Case 3: Navigating Conflict Between Professional Nursing Commitments to Patients and Institutional “Leave the Room” Policies

5:30 to 5:35 (5 min) Close Day 1
Various evening activities, to be announced
Meetings of Networking Groups, to be announced


Day 2: February 18, 2023. Saturday

7:45 to 9:00 Doors open. Continental breakfast courtesy of Completed Life Linitiative. Meet colleagues, find seats before 9:00 start of first presentation.

9:00 to 9:55 (55 min) Keynote: Race, Religion, and Spiritual Considerations in Aid in Dying
Presenter/Moderator: Terri Laws, PhD
Associate Professor of African and African American Studies, Race and Health
University of Michigan—Dearborn
Panel:
Tracey Bush, MSW, LCSW

Regional Practice Leader, End of Life Option Act Program, Kaiser Permanente, Southern California

9:55 to 10:50 (55 min) Capacity and Judgment Evaluations for Patients Considering Aid in Dying
Presenter/Moderator: Thomas Strouse, MD
Psychiatry, Hospice and Palliative Care, University of California, Los Angeles
Professor, Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior
Panel:
Jonathan Treem, MD
Hospice and Palliative Medicine
Assistant Professor, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus
Brieze Bell, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Palliative Medicine, University of California San Francisco

10:50 to 11:20 (30 min) Break. Refreshments.

11:20 to 12:15 (55 min) Nursing Care: Evaluating, informing, following, attending
Presenter/Moderator: Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN
Nursing Education Director, American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying
Panel:
Elizabeth Stanton MSN/Ed, RN, CEN, CCRN (ret)
Co-founder, Compassionate Endings New Jersey
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Andrew Holland, RN
Revisit Nurse, Hospice East Bay
Pleasant Hill, California
Richard Width, RN
Hospice Case Manager
Morristown, New Jersey
Pamela Brown, RN
Eden Hospice
Bozeman, Montana

12:15 to 1:15 (60 min) Lunch

1:15 to 2:10 (55 min) Grief Support after Medical Aid in Dying
Panel:
Sally Thomae, MSW
Aftercare Support Contractor, End of Life Washington
End of Life Doula and Coach
Joe Reynolds
Bereaved spouse of medical-aid-in-dying participant
Joy Rodriguez, End-of-Life Doula
Burden Lifters of Honolulu
Leader, aid-in-dying bereavement group. Hawai’i
Leilani Maxera, MPH, LCSW
Therapist & Death Worker, Kaipuokaualoku. Hawaiʻi
Clark Tyler
Bereaved spouse of medical-aid-in-dying participant, Kauiʻi, Hawaiʻi

2:10 to 3:05 (55 min) Socially-Challenging Settings and Circumstances — homeless and impoverished; family conflicts; skilled nursing and long-term care facilities.
Presenter/Moderator: Ellen Wiebe, MD

Clinical Professor, University of British Columbia
Panelists/Case Presenters:
Rebecca Hudson, Masters of Health Advocacy
End of Life Washington
Tracey Bush, MSW, LCSW
Regional Practice Leader, End of Life Option Act Program, Kaiser Permanente, Southern California
Ryan Spielvogel, MD
Core Faculty, Sutter Sacramento Family Medicine Program. California.
Medical Director, Sutter End of Life Option Act Services

3:05 to 3:35 (30 min) Break. Refreshments.

3:35 to 4:30 (55 min) Medically Challenging Cases: Complex gut function; Self-administration by oral, rectal, PEG and ostomy routes.
Presenter/Moderator: Lonny Shavelson, MD; Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN
Panel, case presentations:
Gaja Andzel, MD. Endocrinologist and aid-in-dying physician. Loma Linda, California
Mark Apfel, MD. Palliative care and aid-in-dying physician. Boonville, California.
Lisa Stolarczyk, MD. High Desert Hospice, and aid-in-dying physician. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Tin Do, MD. Emergency and Aid-in-Dying Physician. San Francisco, California
Joanna Hooper, MD. Family Practice. Taos Whole Health, New Mexico

4:30 to 4:45 (15 min) Closing comments
Peg Sandeen, PhD, MSW. Death with Dignity. Conference Co-chair
Lonny Shavelson, MD. American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying. Conference Co-Chair

Various evening activities, to be announced
Meetings of Networking Groups, to be announced


Curriculum Committee:
Lonny Shavelson, MD. Committee Co-chair. California.
Peg Sandeen, PhD, MSW. Death with Dignity. Committee Co-chair. Oregon.
Ryan Spielvogel, MD. Core Faculty, Sutter Sacramento Family Medicine Program.
Medical Director, Sutter End of Life Option Act Services. California
Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN. Director of Nursing Education, American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in dying. California.
Janie Rakow, End of Life Doula. Director of Doula Education, American Clinicians Academy on Medical aid in dying. New Jersey
Chris Fruitrich, Volunteer. End of Life Washington. Volunteer Systems Advisor, American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying
Amy Yoffe, LCSW. Access TLC Home Hospice, California
Julie Hertl, MSW, LICSW. Kaiser Permanente, Washington

(NOTE: Continuing education credits are listed at the bottom of this page)

Clark Kerr Conference Center: 2601 Warring Street, Berkeley, 94720

DAY ONE:

February 14, 2020

7:00 AM-8:30 AM Attendee Check-in. Networking. Coffee and Pastry Service. Main Entrance. Main Hall

9:00 AM Welcome and Conference Information
Lael Duncan, M.D.
Executive Director
National Clinicians Conference on Medical Aid in Dying

9:05 AM Medical Aid in Dying–An Introduction
Lonny Shavelson, M.D.
Board Chair, National Clinicians Conference on Medical Aid in Dying
Founding Partner, Bay Area End of Life Options
Thaddeus Mason Pope, JD, PhD 
Health Law Professor & Bioethicist
Health Law Institute at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota

9:45 AM Hospices and Aid in Dying: Evolution & Future
Moderator Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN.
Nursing Curriculum Director, National Clinicians Conference on Medical Aid in Dying
Clinical Coordinator, Bay Area End of Life Options
Laura Koehler, LCSW, ACHP-SW
Senior Clinical Director, Hospice by the Bay, San Francisco
Hope Wechkin, M.D.
Medical Director, Evergreen Health Hospice. Kirkland, Washington
Gary Pasternak, M.D., MPH
Chief Medical Officer, Mission Hospice. San Mateo, California
Yelena Zatulovsky, LCAT, LPMT, MA, MT-BC, CCLS, HPMT
Vice President of Patient Experience, Seasons Healthcare. Rosemont, Illinois

10:45 AM BREAK

11:00 AM The Pharmacology and Physiology of Aid in Dying
Lonny Shavelson, M.D.
Carol Parrot, M.D.
Attending & Consulting Physician, End of Life Washington. Seattle

12:00 PM Lunch

1:00 PM Care at the Bedside: Monitoring and Guiding Eligible Patients
Moderator Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN
Carol Parrot, MD.
Attending & Consulting Physician, End of Life Washington. Seattle
Chris Fruitrich.
Volunteer, End of Life Washington. Seattle
Bobbie Head, MD, PhD.
Oncologist, Marin Cancer Care, Greenbrae, California
Jessica Safra, MD
Hospice by the Bay, San Francisco
Molly Weiner, RN
Hospice By the Bay, Larkspur

1:55 PM Evaluating Capacity and Prognosis
Case Presentation: Burton Presberg, M.D.
Cancer Psychiatrist, Oakland
Lawrence Kaplan, D.O.
Director, Consultation-Liaison Service, UCSF and Psycho-Oncology Psychiatry Department, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. San Francisco, California
Lynette Cederquist, M.D.
Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Director of Clinical Ethics Program, University of California, San Diego

2:35 PM Break

2:50 PM Ethical Challenges in Aid-in-Dying Care
Moderator Lonny Shavelson, M.D.
Margaret Pabst Battin, M.F.A., Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Philosophy
Program in Medical Ethics and Humanities, University of Utah
Ruchika Mishra, Ph.D.
Program Director, Bioethics
Program in Medicine and Human Values
Sutter Health Bay Area, California
Timothy Quill, M.D. MACP, FAAHPM
Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry, Medical Humanities, and Nursing
Palliative Care Department of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine, New York

3:50 PM Integrating Aid in Dying into Medical Practice
Moderator: Lonny Shavelson, M.D.
Ryan Spielvogel, M.D.
Family Medicine, Sutter Health, Sacramento, California
Lowell Kleinman, M.D.
Family Practice, Palliative Care Medical Director
John Muir Medical Group, Walnut Creek, California
Diana L. Barnard, MD, HMDC
Assistant Professor, Family Medicine,
Lead Palliative Care Physician
University of Vermont Health Network-Porter Medical Center
Bobbie Head, M.D., Ph.D.
Oncologist. Marin Cancer Care, Greenbrae, California
Eric Walsh, M.D.
Emeritus Professor, Hematology-Oncology and Family Medicine, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, Oregon
Gary Pasternak, M.D., MPH
Chief Medical Officer, Mission Hospice, San Mateo, California

4:50 PM Evaluation and Management of Patients at High Risk of Prolonged Death
Lonny Shavelson, M.D.
Carol Parrot, M.D.

5:30 PM: Close of Day 1 Sessions

6:00-8:00 PM Aid in Dying: Clinical Training for Care at the Bedside
(Pre-registration required. RN, SW, Chaplain). Light meal and snacks.
Lead Faculty Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN.
Co-Faculty:
Elizabeth Semenova, MSW, MTS
Practice Director and Psychospiritual Guide
Integrated MD Care. San Diego, California
Keith Seckel, ADN, RN, CHPN. 
Director of Nursing, Timberhill Place Assisted Living, Corvalis, Oregon

6:00-8:00 PM Invitation-only dinner
Berkeley City Club
Billing considerations for aid-in-dying care.

DAY TWO

February 15, 2020

7:30 AM Speaker and Attendee Check-in. Networking. Coffee and Pastry Service. Main Entrance. Main Hallway

9:00 AM Race Matters: Ethnic, Cultural, and Spiritual Considerations in Aid in Dying
Moderator: Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN
Terri Laws, PhD
Assistant Professor, African American Studies
University of Michigan, Dearborn 
Tracey Bush, MSW, LCSW
Regional Practice Leader, End of Life Option Act Program.
Kaiser Permanente, Southern California
Alan Elbaum, MS
Medical Student, UC Berkeley-UC San Francisco Joint Medical Program. 
Co-author with LaVera Crawley: “Race and Physician-Assisted Death: Do Black Lives Matter?” (in press). 

10:00 AM Managing Social Complexity in Patients and Families
Moderator Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN
Grief Outcomes in Medical Aid in Dying
Deborah Schwing, LMFT; Leslie Dennett, LMFT
Hospice by the Bay Bereavement Department, San Francisco, California
Family conflicts and social complexity in aid-in-dying requests
Jeremy Long, MD, MPH
Medical Director, Denver Health MAID

10:45 AM BREAK

11:00 AM Attending Deaths
Moderator: Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN
Emily Gorgen, RN, case presentation
Hadas Rivera-Weiss, case presentation
Keith Seckel, ADN, RN, CHPN.
Director of Nursing, Timberhill Place Assisted Living, Corvalis, Oregon
Sara Tolchin, RN
Hospice by the Bay, Larkspur, California
Jillene MacReery
Client Support Director
End of Life Washington, Seattle
MacReery, Jillene
Client Support Director
End of Life Washington, Seattle
Chris Fruitrich.
Volunteer, End of Life Washington, Seattle

11:45 AM Plans Change: When Aid in Dying Cannot be Implemented
Moderator Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN
Timothy Quill, M.D. MACP, FAAHPM
Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry, Medical Humanities & Nursing
Palliative Care Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine. Rochester, New York
Andrew, Holland RN
Hospice East Bay. Pleasant Hill, California
Anne Marie Olson, LCSW
Hospice by the Bay, Larkspur, California
Patrick J. Macmillan, MD, FACP
Chief, Division of Palliative Medicine, University of California San Francisco (Fresno)

12:30 PM LUNCH

1:30 PM Practice Pragmatics: Creating an Efficient and Effective
Work Flow for Aid in Dying
Lonny Shavelson, MD

2:15 PM How to Talk About Aid in Dying.
Lael Duncan, MD Moderator
Lowell Kleinman, MD
Family Practice, Palliative Care Medical Director
John Muir Medical Group, Walnut Creek, California
Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN
Elizabeth Semenova, MSW, MTS
Practice Director and Psychospiritual Guide
Integrated MD Care. San Diego, California

2:45 PM BREAK

3:00 PM Pharmacists: Compounding, Teaching & Informing
Moderator: Lonny Shavelson, MD
Eddie Lau, Pharm. D.
Feel Good Compounders Pharmacy, Pacifica, CA
Christy Harmon, PharmD, BCACP
Pharmacy Supervisor, University of Colorado Hospital. Aurora, CO
Laura De Simone, MS, RPh
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist for Death with Dignity, Pain Management
Kaiser Permanente, Portland, OR 

3:30 PM The American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying: The roles and functions of this newly-formed Academy.
Moderator: Lonny Shavelson, M.D.
Introduction: The Canadian Academy
Stefanie Green, MD, President, Canadian Association of Medical Aid in Dying Assessors and Providers (CAMAP)
Resident Training:
Evan Pulvers, M.D.
Founder of Aid-in-Dying Training
Contra Costa, CA, Family Medicine Residency
Ryan Spielvogel, M.D.
Family Medicine, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA
Research and Data Gathering:
Matthew Wynia, MD, MPH Director, University of Colorado Center for Bioethics and Humanities
Consultations:
David Grube, MD National Medical Director, Compassion and Choices
Patient Information Portal
Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN, Bay Area End of Life Options
Patient-to-Provider Referrals
Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN
Next Steps
Lonny Shavelson, MD



4:30-5:00 Closing Remarks
Lael Duncan, MD
Lonny Shavelson, MD

Continuing Education Credits:

Physician CME: The California Academy of Family Physicians designates this activity for 11 AMA PRA Category 1 ™ credits. (This pertains to Family Physicians and other care specialties.)

Nursing CE: 11 units for the conference, an additional 2 if you attend the additional Clinical Training for Care at the Bedside.

Social Worker CEs: 11 units for the conference, an additional 2 if you attend the additional Clinical Training for Care at the Bedside.
NOTE: CEs provided by the National Association of Social Workers. Check to see if your state is covered.

Pharmacists: This is pending, but will likely be 2 units for pharmacist-related materials covered during the conference.