Medical Center’s Aid-In-Dying Policy Sparks Protests
California's End of Life Option Act is voluntary, and about 30 percent of the hospitals in state are not participating, according to an outreach manager with Compassion & Choices.
The Desert Sun:
Group Rallies Outside Eisenhower Hospital For Aid-In-Dying Care
About 60 people rallied outside Eisenhower Medical Center midday Thursday hoping to pressure the hospital to change its policy limiting doctors from helping terminally ill patients end their own lives. California's End of Life Option Act, which took effect last June, gives patients with less than six months to live the ability to request life-ending drugs after consulting with doctors. The law gives hospitals and individual doctors the ability to opt. Local hospitals are allowing doctors to help patients die under the circumstances defined in the law and adding some of their own rules. Rally organizers said Eisenhower's policy remains more restrictive than Desert Regional Medical Center or JFK Medical Center. (Newkirk, 3/2)
In other news —
East Bay Times:
Stanford Outpatient Center To Open East Bay Facility
Stanford Health Care is preparing its latest addition to the East Bay — a new outpatient facility in Emeryville slated to open March 16. The four-story, 90,000-square-foot facility will offer primary care; heart care; women’s health services; ear, nose and throat care, along with other specialists; and x-rays and imaging...The Emeryville center is the only building in the East Bay Stanford Health Care network where patients will be able to get everything done in one visit. Two floors are dedicated to primary and specialty care, while the other floors will include surgery rooms, imaging services and a pharmacy. There is a centralized check-in system for all services. (Sciacca, 3/2)