End of Life: Recommended Reading

• Medical Economics- 7.14.2022 advance care plans (pdf)
• Physician, Legislator Morhaim Hospices Should Be Vocal About Advance Care Plans - Hospice News (URL)
• Preparing for a Better End (Dr. Morhaim's book) -- Make sure your wishes are known as to how, when, and where you'll die. An excellent read!
• Annals EM book review PfaBE Aug 2021 (pdf) -- Review of Dr. Morhaim's book
• Smerconish War on Drugs 3-22-2021 (pdf) -- The real story about "the war on drugs" is one of failure and political deception.
• Sun Anemia 7.12.2021 (pdf) -- "Investing in access to prenatal care, postpartum care and child health visits," the Governor said, "we can improve a wide range of outcomes."
• Sun Fighting crime 6.8.2021 (pdf) -- In many cases, treatment not criminalization is the better response to drug-related offenses.
• Sun Unsung Legislative Actions 4.18.2022 (pdf) -- Often, legislative actions don't get headlines but are important nonetheless.
• We Need to Talk About Death in 2022 (pdf) -- Hospitals and healthcare workers must not ignore patients' wishes.
• Advance Care Medical Planning (pdf) -- Here is what you need to know and why.
• Wrongful Life and Advance Care Directives (pdf) -- Failing to observe or ignoring a patient's planning wishes could lead to lawsuits.

Thanks to the advocacy of Dr. Morhaim, Maryland is a leader in processes and mechanisms for advance directives completion, collection/distribution, and access. Maryland's legislation was enacted in the last legislative session. The bills passed both the House and Senate unanimously and were signed by the Governor.

This is relevant to California's "E-POLST" plan. (Maryland's is called PDMP; California's is called CURES.) We in California can learn from Maryland and make similar implementations.

Read Maryland's legislation:

1. Go to the Maryland General Assembly website.
2. Enter SB824 and also HB1073 in the "Search" box to review the legislation, fiscal note, and witness testimony (which is slightly different for each bill).
3. Maryland legislation makes non-CDS information available to clinicians. Look up HB1127 as above.