Overview of the New York State Medical Aid in Dying Law

The first class in this series will introduce New York Public Health Law Article 28-F (effective 8-5-26), the recently enacted New York State statute that legalizes medical aid in dying (MAID). The New York State Bar Association MAID Task Force history and final report and recommendations will be reviewed, and a snapshot of experience in other states where medical aid in dying has been legalized will be provided. Key provisions of the MAID law will be delineated, including who is a qualifying patient under the law; the steps of the request process; the mandatory mental health evaluation; and institutional policy development. The place of MAID in the palliative and end-of-life care continuum will also be explicated, and recommendations for the design and dissemination of interprofessional MAID education and training discussed.

Mary Beth Quaranta Morrissey, Esq, PhD, MPH, is a healthcare attorney and researcher in gerontological health, social work, and psychology. She served as chair of the New York State Bar Association Medical Aid in Dying Task Force in 2023-2024. Dr. Morrissey is the Founder and President of the Collaborative for Palliative Care and Director of its Aging, Health, Public Health and Palliative Care Certificate Program; Board member of the Hastings Center for Bioethics; immediate past Chair of the NYSBA Health Law Section; past Chair of NYSBA’s Opioid Addiction Task Force; and immediate past Director of the PhD Program in Social Welfare Policy at Yeshiva University Wurzweiler School of Social Work.

Thomas V. Caprio, MD, is a Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry, Clinical Nursing, Public Health Sciences, and Dentistry at the University of Rochester Medical Center, where he serves in senior leadership roles across geriatrics, palliative care, home care, and hospice. He is Acting Chief of the Division of Geriatrics & Aging, Chief Medical Officer for Home Healthcare, and Medical Director of Hospice. Dr. Caprio is nationally recognized for his leadership in geriatrics, hospice and palliative medicine, interprofessional education, and health system models that support seriously ill and older adults across the continuum of care. His work has included leadership in national geriatric education initiatives, policy and advocacy efforts, and scholarship focused on aging, serious illness care, dementia, home-based care, and hospice.

Continuing Education Hours

Completion of this class will result in the receipt of two and one-half (2.5) continuing education hours. CEHs are not awarded for partial completion of the class.

You will receive the Zoom link for joining the class by the day before the class. IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE LINK BY THIS TIME, PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER. 

You will need a computer and a reliable WiFi connection. The computer may be a desktop or a laptop. It may be an Apple or Windows computer.

If you have never used Zoom before, you will likely be prompted to download an applet, which is a small program that allows Zoom to communicate with your computer. This is safe and you will need to do this to join the class.

It is NOT advised that you participate using a table (e.g., an iPad) or a cellular phone. The software is not optimized for these devices.

Please plan to join the online class 15 minutes before the start time to be sure that you don’t have any problems connecting. We cannot provide technical support to you and refunds won’t be offered if you have technical problems. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact us at [email protected] at least a few days before the class.

Please contact [email protected] if you have questions, concerns, or grievances about this course, or if you need ADA accommodations.

Course Interaction and System Requirements

This live webinar takes place on Zoom and is fully interactive. Attendees may ask and answer questions throughout the presentation and participate in instructor-led discussions.

Operating systems

• Windows:
  • Windows 11
  • Windows 10
    Note: Devices running Windows 10 must run Windows 10 Home, Pro, or Enterprise. S Mode is not supported.
• macOS:
  • macOS X (10.15) or later
• Linux:
  • Ubuntu 20.04 or higher
  • Mint 20 or higher
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0 or higher
  • Oracle Linux 9.0 or higher
  • CentOS 9 or higher
  • Fedora 32 or higher
  • OpenSUSE 16 or higher
  • Debian 11 or higher
  • ArchLinux (64-bit only)
  • Other Linux OS with GCC 9.4 or higher

Internet Browser

• Desktop
  • Chrome: Within the current and past 2 versions
  • Firefox: Within the current and past 2 versions
  • Edge: Within the current and past 2 versions
  • Safari: Within the current and past 2 versions
• Mobile
  • Safari: Within the current and past 2 versions
  • Chrome: Within the current and past 2 versions
  • Firefox: Within the current and past 2 versions

Broadband Internet connection

Cable, High-speed DSL & any other medium that is internet accessible.