Nov. 19, 2015 – Hemlock Society of San Diego Meeting
There were two main topics: HOW DOES IT WORK IN OREGON? George Eighmey, lawyer, former legislator and director of the Oregon Compassion & Choices program for the first 12 years of its existence discussed how doctors are recruited, family involvement, the role of volunteers, hospice’s attitude, and the now exorbitant price of medications. George is Vice President of DDNC (Death with Dignity National Center)
WHAT WILL HOSPICE DO UNDER THE LAW? Dr. Glenn Panzer is Chief Medical Officer of Elizabeth Hospice with which he has been associated for 13 years. He specializes in geriatric medicine and palliative care. He discussed what he sees as the hospice role in the new law.
Part 1:
Part 2: Question & Answer Period Video Q&A discusses:
role of hospice
Brittany Maynard not using hospice
Alzheimer’s and Dementia, MS, Parkinsons, diagnoses that do not qualify for relief under the California End of Life Option Act
voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED)
failure to thrive
desire for extension of time period for qualifying under the law to beyond 6 months to live
training for implementing the End of Life Option Act
the 6-months or less requirement of the law and how death is not really predictable
doctors’ hesitance to discuss death and/or recommend hospice
August 23, 2026.
Voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED) is a legal choice to end hopeless suffering by hastening death. More people are considering this end-of-life option, but few truly understand it. A daughter, a doctor, and a death doula explain the medical, practical, and emotional support that can help ensure a peaceful and dignified end-of-life experience.
June 14, 2026
What do you do when the law won’t allow the kind of death you want? For a growing number of Americans, the answer is: go to Switzerland. This program brings together perspectives rarely heard side by side:
A wife’s story – Pat Spears shares her deeply personal journey and the decisions she and her husband, Bert – facing Alzheimer’s – made to travel to Switzerland.
A practical roadmap – John Watson, the mastermind behind The Switzerland Alternative, introduces a trusted resource for navigating end-of-life options in Switzerland.
Inside perspective – Experts from Pegasos explain the process, requirements, and realities of Voluntary Assisted Death in Switzerland
Whether you are planning ahead or simply want to understand what options exist beyond U.S. borders, this program offers insight you won’t find in the headlines.
On May 22, 2026, Professor Thaddeus Mason Pope, JD, PhD, HEC-C, was the guest speaker for the Girsh endowed lecture on Medical Aid in Dying to the UCSD School of Medicine. The lecture begins at 11:05. Professor Pope reviewed the evolution of the California End of Life Option Act over its first decade, then discussed how medical aid in dying is likely to evolve over the next five years, including: (1) by expanding access to people with dementia, (2) by changing eligibility requirements, and (3) by amending safeguards to be more evidence based.
4/30/2026 From Dorset, England, Sean Davison, Ph.D. (microbiology)., discusses the legal challenges he has faced, including arrests and sentencing for assisting people in their efforts to die with dignity on their own terms. He also briefly discusses Voluntary Assisted Dying via Swiss clinics. Sean served for 5 years as the head of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies, worked with Pegasos Swiss Clinic, and is the author of 3 books.
