The US’s first Death with Dignity Act, which authorizes the practice of medical aid in dying, co-authored by Compassion & Choices President Barbara Coombs Lee, was affirmed by an Oregon ballot initiative in 1994. Barbara was the chief spokesperson for this monumental law through two statewide campaigns, in 1994 and 1997.
On July 13 2023, Gov. Tina Kotek signed House Bill 2279, bipartisan legislation introduced by the Oregon Health Authority to repeal the residency restriction in the Oregon Death with Dignity Act. The bill took effect immediately, making Oregon the second state after Vermont to remove this requirement.
The power of personal stories to inspire and drive change is undeniable. Everyone has a story, and we invite you to share yours.
As protests for racial justice in Portland continue and new images of the federal response emerge, I want to express my concern for the safety of the many Compassion & Choices staff, supporters, volunteers and allies who live there. Please know that we are thinking of you during this tumultuous time. As a mom myself,…
Compassion & Choices today praised the Oregon Legislature and Governor Kate Brown for the enactment of Senate Bill 1606, intended to protect vulnerable individuals who seek health care treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The law requires medical facilities to allow individuals with disabilities to designate a support person to be present with them in the…
Providence, a healthcare provider that serves more than 50 hospitals and nearly 1,100 clinics in seven states (Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington) suffered two recent significant setbacks that resulted in victories for patient-directed care in California and Oregon. The first win for patient-directed care happened on May 1: Hoag Memorial Hospital…
(Portland, Ore. — March 10, 2020) Compassion & Choices has sent a letter to CareOregon in response to numerous unconfirmed news reports that it plans to merge with Providence Health & Services of Washington, which opposes the end-of-life care option of medical aid in dying. Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act authorizes mentally capable, terminally ill…
(Portland, Ore. — 10 de Marzo, 2020) Compassion & Choices ha enviado una carta a CareOregon en respuesta a numerosos informes de prensa, sin confirmar, en los que se dice que planea fusionarse con Providence Health & Services of Washington, una entidad que se opone a la opción de atención médica al final de la…
Dan Diaz and his late wife, Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old California woman dying of brain cancer, came to Compassion & Choices on a mission to improve people’s end-of-life options in October of 2014. In doing so, they changed the movement forever. Since then, the alliance has catalyzed the introduction and passage of medical aid-in-dying laws…
Compassion & Choices today commended Governor Kate Brown for signing an amendment to the Oregon Death with Dignity Act that allows doctors to waive the waiting period requirements for medical aid in dying if the patient is not expected to live long enough to complete them. The Act allows mentally capable, terminally ill adults with…
Opponents of medical aid in dying, an end-of-life care option that allows terminally ill adults to peacefully end their suffering, are hyperbolizing the impact of the amendment (SB 579) the Oregon Legislature approved on Wednesday to the state’s first-in-the-nation Death with Dignity law. It is the model for the practice of medical aid in dying…
The Oregon House of Representatives today passed Senate Bill 579 by a vote of 35 – 22, amending the Death with Dignity Act. The Act allows mentally capable, terminally ill adults with six months or less to live to have the option to request a doctor’s prescription for medication they can decide to take if…
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