Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) has been in effect in Colorado since 2017 and hundreds of people have since utilized the program. However, the process is still shrouded in a degree of mystery and accessing MAID is not always straightforward.

In this webinar, we are bringing insight to this topic from Katie Sue Van Valkenburg, Medical Social Worker and Coordinator for the Medical Aid in Dying Program at Denver Health.

What you’ll learn

• About the Medical Aid in Dying laws (national and in Colorado)

• Highlights of the MAID process (finding a program, doctors, holding the appointments, written requests, acquiring medications, etc.) 

• MAID Ingestion Day Prep (what to bring/have on hand, what to plan, getting your team ready, etc) 

The presenter

Special Guest: Katie Sue Van Valkenburg, Medical Social Worker and Coordinator for the Medical Aid in Dying Program at Denver Health

Katie Sue spent her youth terrified of death...and now death positivity is the only topic on her mind. Katie Sue is a Medical Social Worker and is the Coordinator for the Medical Aid in Dying Program at Denver Health, one of the most progressive programs in the state. At Denver Health, the program helps navigate and guide those who are utilizing the legislation. She also works at Brighton Hospice as a volunteer coordinator and is an active volunteer for Rocky Mountain Refuge for End of Life Care, a place where our unhoused neighbors of Denver can spend their last days with custodial and comforting care. Katie Sue has also worked as a Life Transitions Coordinator for nursing homes specialized in caring for those with dementia and as a Social Worker within an oncology infusion clinic. She is fueled by the passion to help others feel empowered at EOL, regardless of disease progression or cognitive status. She can be found talking about death on the ski lifts of Colorado or whilst walking with her service corgi, Henry Butters.