Content Preview: rss
327 days ago
1) The notion of helping people to die is contrary to the core of medicine. In Oregon, only a handful of physicians have written lethal prescriptions over the past 10 years, and only about 1 death in a thousand happens this way. The overwhelming majority of physicians and terminally ill patients essentially vote against PAS. 2) We should not take the step of making medical care merely another commodity for which there is a supply and a demand -- i.e., whatever (legal thing) the patient wants, the patient gets. Think about patient "rights" to receive antibiotics any time they wish; pain killers dispensed on demand; teen boys able to demand steroid hormones for body building. Someone might question why the doctor gets to impose his or her views on these people if they’re willing to take the risks, but physicians need to be able to operate within a code of ethics and without the expectation that "what a patient wants, the patient ...
327 days ago
Dr. Twyla Barnes, Chairwoman SWMC Board of Directors Educational Service District #112 2500 NE 65 th Ave. Vancouver, WA 98661-6812 Mr. Lee Kearney, Vice Chair SWMC Board of Directors 7611 Evergreen Highway Vancouver, WA 98664 Mr. Ron Prill, Treasurer SWMC Board of Directors 5807 NW El Rey Drive Camas, WA 98607 Ms. Judi Brenes, Secretary SWMC Board of Directors 2519 NW 91 st St Vancouver, WA 98665 Mr. Dick Boyd SWMC Board of Directors Boyd Coffee Co. 19730 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland, OR 97230 Mr. Brett Bryant SWMC Board of Directors 2506 SE 125 th Ave. Vancouver, WA 98683 ...
327 days ago
As a (physician, nurse, pharmacist, health care professional) working at _________ (hospital, clinic, long-term care facility or medical center), I believe that the duty of health care professionals is to protect the lives of those entrusted to our treatment and care. Medically vulnerable patients place their trust in me each day—they trust that I will care for them to the best of my ability, that I will comfort them when I can no longer heal them, and that I will always treat them with dignity and with respect. They trust _____________ (hospital or facility) to do the same—patients and their families trust that when they enter our doors, we will provide the best of care in an environment that is safe and conducive to healing. It is in this context of trust that I want to express my deep concern over the recent passage of Initiative 1000, which legalizes physician-assisted suicide in Washington state. The American Medical Association and 49 of its state chapters ...
327 days ago
Dear _____________ : I am writing to thank you for Southwest Washington Medical Center’s tradition of excellent care for the sick and suffering in our community. It is a tradition I hope you will continue to honor and support in the years to come, as the people who live here have placed their trust in your corporate role as caregiver. It is in regard to this trust in Southwest’s continued excellent care that I am writing. The passage of Initiative 1000, which legalized physician-assisted suicide in Washington state, undermines this trust. It leaves people frightened and doubtful about whether or not they will continue to receive good care in a medical environment that allows the intentional ending of life. I recently read that the American Medical Association, as well as 49 of its state chapters, has declared that it does not support the practice of physician-assisted suicide. The Washington State Medical Association announced in July of this year ...
