Podcasts about terminally ill act

U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee, discusses the importance of the Immediate Access for the Terminally Ill Act that she and Senator Mike Lee introduced last week; and Patients Rising CEO Terry Wilcox, gives her opinion on the bill. Immediate Access for the Terminally Ill Act Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger News Release: Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) Re-Introduce Immediate Access for the Terminally Ill Act  

Dr. Philip Nitschke, MD, Ph.D. is a medical doctor, humanist and founder and director of the pro-euthanasia group Exit International (https://www.exitinternational.net/), a leading end-of-life rights advocacy and information non-profit. Dr. Nitschke has written extensively in the area of voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide, including three books, including: Killing Me Softly: Voluntary Euthanasia and the Road to the Peaceful Pill, The Peaceful Pill eHandbook, and Damned if I Do. Dr. Nitschke holds a Ph.D. in applied physics from Flinders University and is a graduate of Sydney Medical School. He is a seven-time nominee for Australian of the Year and is the recipient of many awards including the Rainer Humanitarian Award and Australian Humanist of the Year. Dr. Nitschke successfully campaigned to have a legal euthanasia law passed in Australia's Northern Territory and assisted four people in ending their lives before the law (Rights of the Terminally Ill Act) was overturned by the federal government. He was the first doctor in the world to administer a legal, voluntary, lethal injection. Dr. Nitschke remains a strong advocate of dying with dignity, spending time lecturing on the topic, and developing innovative technology concepts, including several end-of-life machines, including the Deliverance Machine, CoGen and Destiny devices, and his most recent, the SARCO capsule (https://www.exitinternational.net/sarco/).

From 25 years ago when voluntary euthanasia for the terminally ill was so controversial that the Federal Government of Australia used a hitherto unknown section of the Australian Constitution (s122) to overturn the Northern Territory's Rights of the Terminally Ill Act to today when politicians can't act fast enough getting behind assisted dying laws as a show of compassion and humanity, the right to die has come a long way. And so 2020 draws to a close with New Zealand finally passing a binding referendum that will see an End of Life Choice Act introduced in that country while Queensland makes Dying with Dignity an election promise. Meanwhile in Tasmania, politicians are falling over themselves as defenders of human rights at the end of life. This Doxit Podcast discusses the pros/ cons of a medicalised legislative model, in terms of who is served and who is excluded from eligibility, asking is this the best way forward?

New Jersey is the ninth state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. According to the state's Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act, attending physicians can “write a prescription for medication that would enable a qualified terminally ill patient to end his or her life.” The Act defines “terminally ill” as “the terminal stage of an irreversibly fatal illness, disease, or condition with … a life expectancy of six months or less.”  Only the “physician who has primary responsibility for the care of a patient and treatment of a patient's terminal disease,” may write the life-ending prescription. And what happens if the doctor's conscience prevents him from writing the prescription?  While the Act is clear that “any action taken by a health care professional to participate… shall be voluntary...” it also requires the “health care professional” to “transfer, upon request, a copy of the patient's relevant records to the new health care professional or health care facility.” So, while it would be far worse for New Jersey to coerce doctors to kill against their conscience, does honoring a patient's request and making a referral mean one is still complicit in his or her death? Or, to put it differently, is the law still forcing physicians who want nothing to do with physician-assisted suicide to participate? That is the opinion of Dr. Yosef P. Glassman. He recently filed suit to block implementation of the Act because he believes that being forced to refer patients to doctors who will kill them violates his religious beliefs. Dr. Glassman is particularly well-qualified to hold forth on his beliefs. Not only is he a physician specializing in the care of the elderly, he is also an Orthodox Rabbi. Glassman told the Jewish Link that he “was motivated to act by the chilling prospect of being a part of the suicide process, which strongly conflicted with both my professional and religious values.” After talking with several concerned Jewish community members on the topic, Glassman decided his work in geriatrics left him no choice but “to take a firm position.”  “Some people who may oppose my action,” Glassman says, “may say that I want dying patients to suffer, chas v'shalom. Quite the opposite—we as physicians have ample tools to alleviate the suffering for the living, even for the terminally ill, without the need to license suicide.” That Hebrew phrase he used, chas v'shalom, means “Heaven forbid.” It reveals that just as Dr. Glassman is religiously motivated not to kill, he's also religiously motivated to heal and to alleviate suffering. In his mind, being forced to kill not only forces him to do what is wrong, it's an obstacle to doing what he's called to do. The good news is that a New Jersey state judge has issued an order preventing the law from taking effect until the religious freedom issues Glassman raised have been adjudicated. Still, Glassman's case is a reminder of the increasing pressure being put on medical professionals to participate in the “Culture of Death.” No matter how often advocates paint physician-assisted suicide and abortion as “compassionate” care, many doctors rightfully want nothing to do with them. This leaves the dilemma of to what degree unwilling physicians should be coerced to participate. Even if laws talk about “voluntary” participation, it's nearly impossible to avoid the machinery of death once it carries the force of law. Thankfully, physicians like Glassman are ethically coherent and willing to resist, and Jewish organizations like Agudath Israel are monitoring new laws like the one in New Jersey and are willing to help people like Dr. Glassman not violate their faith. More than a few Christian pastors could learn from the moral clarity of Dr. Glassman and the advocacy of Agudath Israel. No Christian should be coerced to participate in the culture of death. And no Christian who refuses to participate should find themselves alone in their courage. Chas v'shalom that Christians should be any less determined to fight against this “Culture of Death.”

In this episode, we're talking about something that is changing the landscape of end-of-life care in NJ. That "something" is called the Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act, which is slated to take effect on 8/1/2019 (click HERE for a link to the law). This epsiode covers what's in the law as well as how it will impact the way you practice medicine. To help us understand the law, we have three guests: Tarun Kapoor, MD; Stephen Goldfine, MD; and Chris Hughes, AVP of Government Relations at Virtua. Be sure to hit subsribe so you can be the first to know when we release new episodes! Support the show (https://virtuaphysicianpartners.com/participation-criteria)

Alex, Brian, Joe and Ant sit down to discuss some current events spanning from the beautiful memorial service for Nipsey Hussle to Tiger’s triumphant return to greatness after winning the Masters. This episode starts out on a somber note from reflecting on Nipsey’s passing one last time, their thoughts on the fire at Notre Dame cathedral, and how they feel about the Medical Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Act that will legalize assisted suicide to the terminally ill in the State of New Jersey. After touching on Donald Trump’s despicable propaganda that has caused a massive increase in death threats for our beloved Congresswoman Omar, the tone of this episode becomes a lot more cheerful. The guys send some love to those working on helping the homeless secure housing and much needed mental health care. They discuss the Game of Thrones mania and reminisce on their favorite television shows of all time. They also give their hilarious takes on Wendy Williams divorcing her no good husband Kelvin. They close out with sports updates including Tiger’s big win, Russell Wilson’s new contract, the NBA playoffs and the state of the Lakers franchise. Hope everyone enjoys the episode and thanks for listening! Thanks for your support!

Philip Nitschke became a household name in the 90s when he became the first doctor in the world to administer a legal, lethal voluntary injection to a patient under the short-lived "Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995". Within a year the law was overturned and Philip went on to commence his campaigning for assisted dying, not only for the terminally ill but for those of sound mind to make their own decisions of when to end their life. Exit International (Previously known as the Voluntary Euthanasia Research Foundation) was founded by Philip and their vision states "every adult of sound mind has the right to implement plans for the end of their life so that their death is reliable, peaceful and at the time of their choosing". Due to the sensitivity of the topic, Philip and the organisation have received heavy criticism over the years often coming face to face with not only government legislative obstacles but also religious organisations and sections of the media. I remember Philip Nitschke as 'Dr. Death' - A name that he was labelled with through the media and while I didn't know a lot about the topic as a child, I certainly do recall the intensity of the issue and the dark lens that was placed over him and Voluntary Euthanasia. Death is often placed in a negative light and something to be feared of. Of course this meant for me that Dr Death was a bit of a fearful character that was portrayed to me in those earlier years. More recently I was reintroduced to Philip through Dr David Goodall, the 104 year old Botanist and Ecologist who made the decision to end his life. Unfortunately because of the current laws in Australia, Dr Goodall had to travel to Switzerland to have his wishes granted on 10 May 2018. The story became world news and with Philip helping Dr Goodall fast track his application in Switzerland, he and the topic came back into spotlight once again. Given the recent media attention and keeping in theme of having a wide variety of guests and discussions on The Andy Social Podcast, I knew that I had to get in touch with Philip. Thankfully he agreed and he is now one of the many fascinating guests who I've had the pleasure to speak with candidly. Philip and I spoke about the recent David Goodall story, we reflected on his time in the Northern Territory when the world had their eyes on Australia's (at the time) progressive actions. We also spoke about the stigma and challenges surrounding the word 'suicide', the battles he has had with the medical board in Australia, stories from some of the individuals who Philip has come into contact with over the years and much more. The subject is complicated and often blurred by subjective and emotional opinions. While I sometimes think that some of Philip's approaches and statements over the years have been shocking on the surface, it has challenged the way that I view life and our rights as individuals. Like many of us, we have experienced and had contact with people in our lives who have suffered and lived a quality of life that is unacceptable. Providing people with an option to make a rational decision at a certain stage of their lives gives individuals dignity and control over how they would like their last moments to be. Wherever your opinions may sit, I hope this sparks some thought and discussion amongst your friends and family. Quite possibly its time to take a different view on how we portray death and the freedoms that people may require in later stages of life. To learn more about Philip Nitschke's work and Exit International, please follow the links below. Show notes Follow Philip on Facebook | Twitter | Learn more via

Suicide Prevention Month   September is National Suicide Prevention Month. It’s meant to raise awareness about the issue of suicide, especially in teens and young adults. On this episode of "Case In Point", Aaron Freiwald talks about teen suicide and what resources are available. Along with that, he also brings up the controversial topic of physician assisted suicide.   As of now there are 6 states in the United States that allow physician assisted death or “death with dignity”. Those states are: Colorado, Washington, Vermont, California, Oregon, and the District of Columbia.   Montana has expanded the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act to allow physician assisted suicide but there isn't the regulatory framework necessary to make it legal. Instead, doctors in Montana are protected from prosecution if they have the patient's request in writing. New Mexico has a similar system in place and New York has tried, unsuccessfully, to get physician assisted suicide approved.   Though an option, it is not one that is taken lightly; doctors have very strict guidelines they must follow if a patient chooses to move forward with physician assisted suicide or “Death with Dignity”. For more information on Death with Dignity you can visit:   http://healthcare.findlaw.com/patient-rights/death-with-dignity-laws-by-state.html https://www.deathwithdignity.org/   If you know someone who is having suicidal thoughts or think someone you know and love may be please contact one of the resources below:   http://www.thetrevorproject.org/ National Suicide Hotline – 1-800-273-TALK(8255) National Alliance on Mental Illness – Text 741-741

Our guest on this episode is Dr. Philip Nitschke is the Founder of Exit International. In 1996, Philip became the first doctor in the world to administer a legal, lethal voluntary injection under the short-lived Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 (NT). Four of Philip’s terminally ill patients used this law to end their suffering before the law was overturned in March 1997 by the Australian Parliament. That same year, Philip formed the Voluntary Euthanasia Research foundation (now called Exit International). Ongoing pressure from the Australian Medical Board led him to hand in his medical registration in 2015, and he now works full time developing end of life options for the sick and elderly and publishing details through his on-line Peaceful Pill Handbook. Philip's autobiography entitled Damned If I Do was published by Melbourne University Press in 2013. The website for Exit International is www.exitinternational.net