Dr. Jessica Nutik Zitter believes deeply in the beauty of saving life, but also in the beauty of a good death.
We find ourselves in a perfect storm: the age-old drive to preserve life combines with the technological capacity to push that to the limit. A better path is out there, but it will require a new kind of heroism from everyone involved.
As a pulmonary and critical care physician, Dr. Zitter has had a front row seat to the public health crisis that touches all of us: people dying badly. Every day, far too many people are dying in unnecessary distress and suffering. Without knowing our options, we become subject to what she calls the “end-of-life conveyor belt,” in which mechanization and protocol override personal preference and collaborative decision-making. Without intervention, this will be our path to the end of life, too.
On May 15th, Dr. Zitter will take us on the journey of her lifelong love affair with medicine, sharing the stories of the truly heroic people who helped transform the meaning of saving a life, right up until the very end. She will challenge and invite us, as patients, physicians, families, caregivers and healthcare professionals, to take a step back, a deep breath, and ask: What do we really want for ourselves, our loved ones, and those entrusted to our care when death comes?
Jessica Zitter, MD, MPH, practices ICU and Palliative Care at Highland Hospital in Oakland, California. She is the author of a new book, Extreme Measures: Finding a Better Path to the End of Life. Her essays and articles have appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, the Huffington Post, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and other publications. Her work is featured in the 2017 Oscar-nominated short documentary, Extremis, now streaming on Netflix. She regularly lectures and speaks on the radio, on the topic of dying in America.
Further information and registration: https://jessicazitterioa.eventbrite.com
Date: Monday, May 15th, 7 PM (Doors open at 6:15 p.m.)
Place: Institute on Aging, 3575 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94118
Parking: Limited street parking around the building. Public transportation is nearby.
Cost: $15, General Admission; $5.00 students and seniors (65+)
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED, IN ADVANCE, FOR ALL TICKET TYPES
We will be selling Dr. Zitter's just-released book at this event---a book being hailed as "required reading for every young medical student and every family member wondering how to help the people they love live well to the end." Ellen Goodman, founder of The Conversation Project
Books will be available for purchase, thanks to our friendly, neighborhood vendor, Books Inc., Laurel Village
For questions, reach out to Caitlin Morgan, Senior Education Specialist at cmorgan@ioaging.org or (415) 750-4114