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Public Conversations is an ongoing series of community forums designed to convene Charlotte-area residents for discussion of timely and relevant topics. Our goal is to create comfortable settings that encourage a stimulating and enlightening exchange of ideas. By organizing these Public Conversations, WFAE intends to serve as a catalyst for community dialogue. Participants are encouraged to engage in conversation with a cross-section of community representatives, expert panelists, and with each other.

End-of-Life Planning And Choices

This forum addressed common choices and challenges that individuals, their families and health care providers face surrounding end-of-life planning and care. We looked at things like living wills - What are they? How do they work? Are they effective? Ethical considerations regarding how we die. Hospice and palliative care. Plus more. 

We've compiled these documents and articles to help you prepare:

New York Times: Teenagers Face Early Death, On Their Terms

Medical choices and planning tools.

News Director Greg Collard and Public Conversations coordinator Mark Rumsey, who moderated the forum, shared some follow-up thoughts on the discussion in our weekly podcast, WFAE Talks.  

National Healthcare Decisions Day
National Healthcare Decisions Day is an initiative to encourage patients to express their wishes regarding healthcare and for providers and facilities to respect those wishes, whatever they may be.

Advance Directives Booklet

NPR host Diane Rehm emerges as key force in right-to-die debate

From NPR: If You Have Dementia, Can You Hasten Death As You Wished?

End-of-Life informational resources from the North Carolina Medical Society

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Pew Research Center Survey – “Views on End-of-Life Medical Treatments”

Moderator: 
Mark Rumsey
- News host, WFAE

Panelists:
Dr. John Barkley - Chief Medical Officer, Post Acute Care Services, Carolinas Healthcare System

Rev. Michael Flynn – Chaplain, Novant Health Hospice and Supportive Care Services

Lance Stell – Professor, Davidson College & Clinical Professor/Medical Ethicist, Carolinas Medical Center.   

Jillian Tullis – Assistant Professor, Communication Studies, UNC Charlotte