Current Perspectives of Medical Aid in Dying

Barak Wolff, MPH, is a mostly retired, long-time public health leader in NM working in Rural Primary Care, EMS, and Trauma Systems, and as the Director of the Public Health Division in the NM Department of Health. Barak has served as an analyst for the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee for the last 17 years when they are in session. For the last 9 years, Barak has been deeply involved with end-of-life issues and is on the founding Board of Directors for the newly created non-profit, End of Life Options New Mexico.

Rabbi Greg Wolfe, born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, was educated at UC Berkeley and received his ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1989. He is currently the rabbi emeritus of Congregation Bet Haverim in Davis, CA where he served as the spiritual leader for the last 27 years. Rabbi Wolfe resides in Davis, CA with his wife, Julie Hochman, and their pup, Oliver.

Deborah Armstrong served in the New Mexico House of Representatives from 2015-2022 and was the sponsor of New Mexico’s End-of-Life Options Act which was signed into law in 2021. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for End of Life Options New Mexico, which is focused on the implementation of the Act. She has extensive experience of healthcare-related experience, including home health, hospice, and long-term care. On a personal note, Ms. Armstrong has an adult daughter with advanced Stage IV cancer who has been a strong advocate for Medical Aid in Dying.

Erika Gergerich, a licensed clinical social worker who also holds a PhD in public policy, shares her professional experience of working with aging populations, then poignantly describes her personal story of coping with stage 4 breast cancer while working and raising two children in a state where medical aid in dying is not recognized.

Dr. Evan Pulvers is a family practice physician based in Flagstaff, Arizona, committed to providing excellent care for her patients. She is an advocate for medical aid in dying, serving on the steering committee at Arizona End of Life Options, an all-volunteer, non-profit committed to passing Medical Aid in Dying legislation in Arizona. Dr. Pulvers is passionate about providing comprehensive care and support to her patients and their families.

Abhik Chowdhury is a 26-year-old Ph.D. student currently doing research on using smart home devices for mental health care. He is the webinar moderator for Arizona End of Life Options and also has volunteered for the humanitarian aid group, No More Deaths which works to end the series of fatalities in the desert regions of the United States-Mexico border.

Rev. Robin Zucker, Unitarian Universalist minister, and past hospice chaplain shares her view of end-of-life choices and how to talk with someone facing death.  A spiritual humanist, she is guided by deep values such as the intrinsic worth of each person. Listen to Robin describe, with her innate curiosity and empathy, how she helps others uncover their thoughts and feelings about dying.