On April 22 we had a pipe elbow failure in our Emergency Department (ED) causing a significant water leak. Crews are assessing the impact and we are in the process of water abatement. Our ED is open, but several rooms are currently offline which could increase wait times. Some surgeries are also being rescheduled.
Death with Dignity - 2023 Updates
In April 2023, Washington state passed new legislation updating Death with Dignity requirements and processes that went into effect July 23, 2023. The biggest changes were:
- ARNPs and PAs are now eligible to participate in the act as an attending or consulting providers.
- A physician (fully licensed MD or DO) must participate as either attending or consulting provider for every patient pursuing Death with Dignity.
- The attending and consulting providers cannot have a supervisory relationship.
- A physician (fully licensed MD or DO) must participate as either attending or consulting provider for every patient pursuing Death with Dignity.
- The waiting period between 1st and 2nd request was shortened to 7 days, and the 48 hour waiting period after the Written Request for Medication was removed.
Please watch this video from Amisha Mehta, MD, Medical Director Supportive & Palliative Care and Sarah Peterson, Director Supportive & Palliative Care for an overview of the Death with Dignity act and to learn how to participate at Valley as a provider. There is no requirement for providers to participate in Death with Dignity.
You can find more resources, including the VMC policy & procedure here. Please reach out to dwd@valleymed.org with any questions, or directly to Amisha or Sarah.