(Photo/Mel Evans)

Dr. Deborah Pasik has been a practicing physician in New Jersey for 30 years. Her parents were both physicians, and she became aware of end-of-life care and options early on in her life: “My mom, for as long as I can remember, was a fierce advocate for end-of-life choices. And we’re talking about the ‘50s and ‘60s.” These early experiences, along with the death of her brother to glioblastoma, informed Dr. Pasik’s interest in becoming a physician and later advocating for end-of-life options. 

Dr. Pasik was instrumental in spreading information about the New Jersey Medical Aid in Dying Act, testifying before the Legislature and writing op-eds and letters to the editor in local papers. When the bill was signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy in 2019, she was there with other supporters, saying, “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.” This was Dr. Pasik’s first foray into politics, but she says it’s been a rewarding experience: “I’ve made some very lasting connections with other advocates, and I still feel like I’m part of the team.” 

Dr. Pasik continues to work with Compassion & Choices as part of our Doctors for Dignity program to educate physicians and the public about New Jersey’s medical aid-in-dying law, including participating in webinars and her own mentorship of other physicians on evaluating medical aid-in-dying patients. She says that “education is the key to combating misinformation and misconceptions about medical aid in dying.”

Doctors for Dignity is a community of physicians nationwide speaking out in support of a full range of options for the end of life, including medical aid in dying. Read a full interview with Dr. Pasik or sign up to participate today!

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