Portland, Oregon, November 9, 2023 – Death with Dignity is urging the American Medical Association (AMA) to adopt a neutral position on medical aid in dying through two related resolutions in a vote to be held during a November 10-14 meeting in Maryland.

“The original position of the AMA opposing Death with Dignity was established in 1993, before the enactment of any laws in the U.S. allowing the practice. It was set during a time when the idea was theoretical and academic,” said Peg Sandeen, PhD, MSW and CEO of Death with Dignity in Portland, Oregon. “It is time for the AMA to take a leadership role in recognizing medical aid in dying as a clinical practice established and legal in select states, some for close to 30 years. 

“While the AMA has been largely absent from clinical discussions and advancements in medical aid in dying over the past three decades, there is plenty of time and opportunity for the institution to take up its appropriate leadership role,” said Sandeen. “Seventy-two million individuals in the U.S. live in a jurisdiction permitting qualified terminally ill patients to access Death with Dignity. They deserve the highest quality health care this country can provide. This includes having options when they have no more medical treatments or choices available to them, and receiving care from physicians trained and following standards of exemplary clinical practice.”

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