AMA 2016 Code of Ethics
The AMA is in the process of updating its Code of Ethics. The preliminary documents are available online, including Chapter 5: Opinions on Caring for Patients at the End of Life.…
Colorado’s suicide euphemism
As residents of Colorado begin another battle to defeat doctor prescribed suicide in their state, proponents are consistently trying to “sell” their message as “medical-aid-in-dying” while opponents insist that the…
Jerome Lejeune and End-of-Life Care
In 1969, Jerome Lejeune became the 5th recipient of the William Allan Award of the American Society of Human Genetics, the highest honor a scientist can receive in the field of genetics. He…
Don’t Sign Your Life Away with MOLST
You will know a MOLST form when you see it by its bright pink color. (MOLST stands for Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment.) If you are elderly or seriously…
Undying Love The Palliative Care Deception
Much is being made of palliative care these days, especially in the doctor-assisted suicide debate. Prominent palliative care specialists such as Ira Byock and former assisted-suicide advocate Diane Meier strongly oppose such…
Undying Love, Hope, and Communication
I received an early morning phone call from my aunt. “Your mother is very upset. She doesn’t know what to do. You need to stop pressuring her about treatment. Dick…
Undying Love in the Hospital
The healthcare system has a very distinct line separating hospital care from outpatient care. Hospitals are expensive and so they are the main target of cost containment. Here is where…
Undying Love End of Life Care
Dick would commonly be thought of as my stepfather because he married my mother, but since they have only been married for nine years I consider him my mother’s husband.…
Nature and dignity 