Hospitals and other health-care facilities in Washington are working quickly to be ready for and decide whether they will participate in the state’s new assisted suicide law, which goes into effect March 5.
The Death With Dignity Act, which voters approved in November, permits terminally ill patients with less than six months to live to request and self-administer lethal injection medication prescribed by a physician.
The law, modeled after Oregon’s, gives institutions, individual doctors, pharmacists, and other health care providers the option of not taking part.
Some organizations, including the University of Washington Medicine health system and Group Health Cooperative, have already decided to participate. The UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center are also participating, but their individual physicians can opt out.
Statewide, several hospice programs are undecided, but are leaning towards not taking part, though they could help with the patient’s and family’s needs before and after the actual act.
Catholic health-care organizations determined early on that they will not be part of assisted suicides, raising concerns for those whose only option is a Catholic-run health program.
Washington’s two largest hospice programs are run by Catholic organizations. (Seattle Times)
