The Academy of Aid-In-Dying Medicine

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Are you ready to lead with compassion and purpose? The Academy of Aid-in-Dying Medicine invites applications for Executive Director, a leadership opportunity to advance clinician education, promote equity, and champion ethical integrity in medical aid in dying. Apply today: aadm.org/edapplication

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AADM is seeking a compassionate and visionary leader for the Executive Director role. This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of ethical, patient-centered end-of-life care and advanced clinical education for impact nationwide. Learn more here: aadm.org/academy-news

Train your staff. Reduce stress. Deliver exceptional end-of-life care, no matter how or where the prescription comes from.

Learn more with the Academy of Aid-in-Dying Medicine.

Graphic with a large white question mark on a blue and teal background. Text reads: ‘FAQ – What is coordinated aid-in-dying hospice care?’ A small logo with two abstract human figures in blue and yellow is in the bottom left corner.

Compassion. Choice. Expertise.
Coordinated aid-in-dying hospice care prioritizes patients, supporting their autonomy, guiding families, and empowering your care team.

Here are our evidence-based best practices for hospices to consider to ensure the best patient care.
Discover more: www.aadm.org/courses/hosp...

Silhouettes of people walking in a line across a hill at sunset with a pink and purple sky. In the top right corner is a logo with two abstract human figures in blue and yellow. Below the image, text reads: “Hospice Resource: Leadership & Policy Guidance.”

Over 90% of patients considering or completing aid in dying are enrolled in hospice at the time of their death. In the evolving landscape of end-of-life care, medical aid in dying presents opportunities and challenges for hospices.

Graphic with a large white question mark on a teal and navy background. Text reads, “FAQ: How can patients find a clinician for medical aid in dying?” A small logo with two abstract human figures in blue and yellow appears at the bottom left corner.

Through the Academy’s confidential intake form, patients and families can be connected with qualified providers in their area.

Learn more and access the form here: www.aadm.org/for-patients...

“Aid in Dying Clinical Hotline” graphic showing a hand touching digital icons for a phone, email, and chat. Text reads: “For clinicians only. 8 highly experienced aid-in-dying clinicians available by phone or email. 510-298-1135. CliniciansHotline@AADM.org .” The design has a futuristic, glowing tech theme.

The Academy offers advice and mentoring for clinicians seeking support in caring for patients pursuing medical aid in dying. We encourage all care providers to reach out with any clinical questions—big or small. No concern is too minor, and no case too complex.

Two healthcare professionals in scrubs and lab coats stand together, reviewing information on a laptop. The text overlay reads: “Clinician Resource – Want to discuss Aid-in-Dying with professional colleagues? Share your expertise?” The Academy of Aid-in-Dying Medicine logo appears in the corner.

The Academy supports a conversational Listserv on the clinical practice of medical aid in dying, discussions among professionals interested in aid-in-dying medicine — from doctors to doulas — and information about Academy activities.

www.aadm.org/join-our-mai...

Link: jamanetwork.com/.../jamanetw...

Statue of Lady Justice holding balanced scales with a blindfold over her eyes. In the top right corner is a logo with two abstract human figures in blue and yellow. Below the image, text reads: “Clinician Resource: Knowledge of and Preferences for Medical Aid in Dying, by Elissa Kozlov, PhD et al.”

Many don't know that aid-in-dying is legal, even in states where it has been legal for many years. This article shows the need for public education, policy initiatives, and patient-clinician discussions to ensure equitable access to patient-centered end-of-life options and informed decision-making.

States without laws: Arizona End of Life Options, Georgians for End of Life Options, Florida End-of-Life Options, Marylanders for End-of-Life Options, New Hampshire Alliance for End of Life Options, End of Life Choices New York, Dying Right North Carolina, Ohio End of Life Options

States with laws: End of Life Options New Mexico, Maine Death with Dignity, New Jersey Death with Dignity, Hawaii End of Life Options, End of Life Options Colorado, End of Life Options California, Patient Choices Vermont, End of Life Washington, End of Life Choices Oregon

Graphic with a large white question mark on a teal background. A navy blue diagonal banner across the middle reads 'FAQ' in white text and 'Does my state have an aid-in-dying organization?' in yellow text. Small logo of two abstract human figures in blue and yellow is at the bottom left corner.

As of 2025, medical aid in dying is legal in twelve US jurisdictions, while there are aid-in-dying organizations represented as follows: (See comment section)

Learn more about this in Issue 2 of the Journal, on page 128.

Golden Gate Bridge at sunset with the San Francisco skyline in the background. Text overlay reads: 'Resource – Go read our Medical Aid in Dying Update in the Journal of the San Francisco Marin Medical Society.' Logo with two abstract human figures in blue and yellow in the top right corner.

This article, co-authored by the Academy’s Nursing Education and Hospice Outreach Coordinator, Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN, and the Director of Education, Lonny Shavelson, MD, is an aid-in-dying update to the Bay Area clinical community.

Link: www.aadm.org/wp-content/u...

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“Thanatology, the science of dying, death, and grief, provides an overarching framework to study the social and personal influences of death. In the aid-in-dying context, a thanatology perspective can clarify the framework of the end-of-life decision.” - Kim Mooney

Link: heyzine.com/flip-book/2c...

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Read the poem, "Crushed Fruit, for Mary A." in Issue 2 of the Aid-in-Dying Medicine Journal, on page 127. heyzine.com/flip-book/2c...

Hospice nurses, social workers, and spiritual care providers give crucial care to patients considering or completing medical aid in dying, plus support for their families. Share experiences, challenges, insights, or questions with your peers: www.aadm.org/courses/hosp...

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Are tense ascites and portal hypertension Factors for Prolonged Aid-In-Dying Death? The data collected by the Academy indicate they are. (The Academy listserve members received the details from our Director of Education. Join here: www.aadm.org/join-our-mai...)

www.aadm.org/courses/redf...

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Now! Search our website for PDFs, our journal articles, and more. Look for the Search field in the the top right corner of each page.

Clinician resource graphic featuring a stack of balanced stones on a beach under a clear sky. The text reads: “Join our hospice staff support group and get the support you need!” with a small abstract logo of two figures at the top right.

Calling all hospice staff!
Our private support groups are a safe space for you to connect with peers, share your experiences, and find support. Your emotional well-being matters.
Apply today! Here is the link to the application page: www.aadm.org/courses/hosp...

Cover of a clinician resource guide titled “A 2025 Overview of Best Clinical Practices.” The top half shows a person pushing an elderly individual in a wheelchair through a grassy field at sunset, with a small abstract logo of two figures in the sky. The bottom half features the title text on a blue background.

Looking for somewhere to start or advance your knowledge in medical aid in dying?
Our 2025 Overview of Best Clinical Practices video session is a free resource designed for healthcare professionals.

Watch now and learn more about how to support best practices: www.aadm.org/courses/2025...

A serene waterscape with a lone kayaker paddling near a navigational marker with red triangular signs. Overlaying the image is a bold navy blue quote box with white text stating: "By 2023, 51.6% of Medicare beneficiary deaths occurred while under hospice care." Below the quote, "Person Name" is displayed in yellow text. A small logo with two abstract human figures in blue and yellow appears in the bottom left corner. The design conveys a contemplative and reflective tone, highlighting the growing role of hospice care in end-of-life experiences.

The Medicare beneficiary deaths occurring under hospice care reflects a shift toward less-medicalized end-of-life experiences, prioritizing comfort, autonomy, and grief support. As aid in dying and palliative options evolve, critical questions remain: Who controls the dying process?

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"You," a poem by EOL Doula and bedside volunteer, Alyssa Siegal, in JADM Issue 2.

heyzine.com/flip-book/2c...

Graphic with large question mark with text over it: "FAQ: I have the aid-in-dying prescription. Now what?" AADM logo of two stylized people next to each other, showing only their heads and arms, each with an arm around the other's upper back. https://www.aadm.org/for-patients-and-families/the-aid-in-dying-day

Your prescriber or hospice can guide you on whether, when, and how to proceed. Keep your options open: Make plans for a non-aid-in-dying death. Have a nurse, doula, or volunteer at your bedside to manage the details so your family doesn't have to.

A book cover titled Medical Aid in Dying: A Guide for Patients and Their Supporters by Lonny Shavelson, MD. The cover features a serene coastal landscape with rolling green hills leading to the ocean under a sky with wispy clouds. The book is published by the American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying in 2022. The guide aims to demystify and facilitate the process of medical aid in dying, addressing the questions and needs of patients, families, and supporters.

Medical Aid in Dying: A Guide for Patients and Their Supporters, originated from the questions, interests, and needs of dying patients, their families, their loved ones, and the many others who support them. Its goal is to demystify and facilitate the process of medical aid in dying.

Graphic with photo of a puffy white cloud shaped like a heart symbol ❤️, in a clear blue sky. Courtesy of photographer Adrian Hernandez. https://unsplash.com/@iceage26; used with permission.

How to handle this situation is a common question! The answer is, "It depends."

Read our clinical discussion of concerns and considerations for various scenarios here: lnkd.in/gTpStv5Y.

Or contact the Academy’s Clinicians Hotline at lnkd.in/gtAWvKgX.

A quote image featuring a night sky with the Milky Way and silhouetted trees. The quote reads, "Death ends a life, not a relationship." — Mitch Albom. Below the quote is a circular photo of Mitch Albom, a middle-aged man with short dark hair, wearing a dark shirt. The background includes teal and navy-blue shapes, with a small logo of two abstract human figures embracing at the bottom left.

Graphic with large question mark with text over it: "FAQ: What about my loved ones after I die?" AADM logo of two stylized people next to each other, showing only their heads and arms, each with an arm around the other's upper back. https://www.aadm.org/for-patients-and-families/the-aid-in-dying-day

After you die, your family calls hospice or the prescriber, who contacts the mortuary. Legally, the death certificate must list your underlying medical condition as the cause of death, and life insurance must honor policies. Families may want specialized grief support; contact us for details.

An image of Oregon state in 1994. This image is intended to consider what Oregon looked like during the time when voters approved the nation's first medical aid-in-dying statute, the Oregon Death with Dignity Act.

Oregon Then and Now

deathwithdignity.org/news/2017/09...