Choosing and Being an Effective Healthcare Proxy

Bronxville, June 16, 2016—Heart attack, stroke and other critical health conditions often come without warning so making sure that loved ones understand your wishes when it comes to life and death issues is important.

On June 23, The Sarah Lawrence College End of Life Care Program will present Choosing and Being An Effective Health Proxy, a program featuring a panel of experts who will discuss healthcare proxies, advance directives, organ donation cards and living wills among other advance planning topics.

The panel discussion will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Sarah Lawrence College Library Meeting Room. Admission is $15. Light refreshments will be served. To register for the program on-line visit: The program is underwritten by New York-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital and co-sponsored by Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services and The Westchester End of Life Coalition.

“Arguably the most critical component of an advance care plan is the choice of a Health Proxy, the person who will make decisions for us if we are incapacitated,’’ said Rebecca Johnson, Associate Director of Sarah Lawrence College Graduate and Professional Studies for the End of Life Care Program. “Some of us have accepted that role for loved ones, and others of us may be making or re-making that decision and have questions. This program is designed to answer these questions and others.’’

Among the questions that will be discussed by the panel of experts include: What is required of a Health Proxy? What criteria should the Health Proxy meet in order to guarantee our wishes are met? What happens when there is no Health Proxy?

Lisa Volpe, Principal Attorney in charge of the Special Litigation Unit of the New York State Mental Hygiene Legal Service, will lead a distinguished panel from New York-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital, the Sarah Lawrence End of Life Care Program, and Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services. Other panelists include Dr. Deborah Cappell, Medical Director of Lawrence Hospital Center’s Inpatient Palliative Care Program; Marikay Capasso, Coordinator, Health for Life Program (HeLP; a Chronic Disease Self Management Program) Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services. Johnson will moderate. Advance Planning forms for New York State will be provided by The Westchester End of Life Coalition. For more information on the program, call 914-395-2371 or to register online visit www.sarahlawrence.edu