2020ANNUAL REPORT

Advocate. Educate. Support.

This has been an extremely difficult time in our state and country. COVID-19 has put a spotlight on our healthcare system, death and dying, and disparities in care in this country. When I started as Executive Director in January 2020, I wanted to empower and engage more New Yorkers in both discussions around end of life care and the fight for expanded options. When the pandemic hit, End of Life Choices New York was poised to respond to our state’s urgent needs. We used the

societal changes as an opportunity to reflect on how we could improve and expand our advocacy, educational efforts, and support programs for caregivers, patients, and providers.

EOLCNY has a long history of providing high quality presentations and workshops to diverse communities throughout New York. This “new normal” required us to pivot to a digital mode of interaction and become more creative in order to continue our public advocacy efforts, which are more important now than ever. Thanks to your support we were able to create educational videos, provide webinars for the public and health care professionals, and promote targeted social media awareness campaigns to reach those most impacted by the coronavirus.

We continued to offer our free phone-based counseling service that provides information and support to in-dividuals and families, but realized there were new barriers to completing advance directives. The New York State Proxy Form required a physical signature – which was an impossibility for many due to social distancing. We found a solution to this problem by successfully advocating for an executive order permitting remote witnessing. We hosted a great “virtual comedy club” fundraiser with a lineup hilarious comedians. The goal was to bring some comic relief in these difficult times, raise some funds, and engage a younger and diverse audience that is not always included in the end of life movement.

Never has life and death and disparity been more relevant to public and private conversation than this moment in our history. We would like to build upon this momentum. We hope to develop additional educational materials, continue to build our online visibility, enhance our website, provide more opportunities for professional development, and collaborate with more community-based partners across the state.

Our work would not be possible without our End of Life Choices New York community. We will look forward to your continued support as we expand the reach of our services so all patients in the state can be confident that their end of life treatment wishes are honored and that they can achieve a peaceful death.

From the Executive Director

Ayana Woods, MPHExecutive Director

Dear Friends,

We have shared this journey together in witness of an unprecedented year of physical, mental, and so-cial pains to bring yet new beginnings from all of which we have endured. End of Life Choices New York has rediscovered its own place during this time, building a supportive sustainable infrastructure, and redefining our purpose to serve you. End of Life Choices New York’s mission remains intact: We seek to expand choice at the end of life, respecting every individual’s wishes, and striving for the best possible quality of life and a peaceful death. Leading from this mainstay, we have embarked on partnerships with community-based organizations and grant funding institutions to grow an End of Life Equity framework to reach all of our New Yorkers.

End of Life Choices New York actively pursues differences in End of Life experiences among popula-tion groups defined socially, economically, demographically, and geographically across our state. This is now woven into our pillars of operation: Advocacy, Education, and Counseling.

I am honored to be a part of this legacy organization with a passionate and committed staff and es-teemed Board of Directors. We have much to be grateful for as our state returns to the new normal and still, much work to be done! Please join me in an exciting year ahead as we continue our leadership in End of Life.

Christina CoonsBoard President

From the Board President

• Jefferson Senior Center• Red Hook Neighborhood Senior Center• PSS Davidson Senior Center• All Souls Unitarian Church• Ethical Culture Society of Westchester• Lincoln House• Raices Senior Center• The Field Library • Henry Street Settlement Senior Center • Greenburgh Public Library • River Stone Senior Life Services • Diana H. Jones Senior Center

• Gowanus Senior Center• Woodside Senior Center• ALS Society of New York• Fordham University• Pace Law School• Purchase College• Uniondale Library• Poughkeepsie Library• NAACP Crisis Conversations• Practicing Law Institute Elder Law Institute• Herman Biggs Society

PROGRAM PARTNERS INCLUDE:

Topics of presentations included:• Planning for a Better End of Life/ Planificando Un Mejor Final De La Vida• The Case for Medical Aid in Dying in New York• Voluntarily Stopping Eating & Drinking (VSED): An Overview• Being Mortal: Rights, Choices and Important Conversations• Health Matters for Seniors: Quality of Life In Later Years• Choice in Dying: Current Legal, Policy and Ethical Issues• How to Get Your End of Life Care Wishes Respected and Receive Good Quality Care

5We created 5 new videos— that were viewed over 11,000 times

MISSION: End of Life Choices New York seeks to expand choice at the end of life, respecting every individual’s wishes, and striving for the best possible quality of life and a peaceful death.

We hosted and participated in 49 educational programs that had over 5,800 participants

4 9 10% of programs were in Spanish or English/Spanish bilingual

Educate:

Advocate:

Support:

“One of the best virtual sessions I have ever attended.” - Attendee, The Case for Medical Aid in Dying

“Caring people talking about a very important topic.” - Attendee, Planning for a Better Life (in Spanish)

“Words in a letter of thanks are unable to completely express how grateful I am for your presentation at the library. It is a challenge to attract an audience to a program where the topic is dealing with end-of-life choices. The large audience who did attend was impressed by your dedication and legislative acumen in enacting legal rights in New York toward Palliative Care. Your presentation was substan-tiated with facts, easy to follow and explained the often confusing differences in palliative care with hospice care or those between a health care proxy, living wills and DNR. The public gained insights on legal rights to ensure pain management is offered and reviewed by medical doctors and staff. How each State’s right differ and ways individuals and family members can navigate through medical needs before a crisis. I personally had to advocate for two family members medical rights and was confident because of what I had recently learned during your presentation.” “The American public needs to learn about medical rights and real-life scenarios when they believe they are protected or have options or are simply unaware of recently enacted options. Thank you for working so tirelessly in public interest law and in helping to enact laws in palliative care. Thank you for helping to give us a voice to advocate for our health choices throughout life.” – Greenburgh Library

“Thank you again for two wonderful presentations to our senior baccalaureate nursing students about end of life issues and the relevant documents you shared. You reached 107 students. So many com-mented after both presentations how important the information was for them and how they appreciated your expertise at all levels on the subject. Some are going through these issues with their loved ones now and hopefully they will start working on their own end of life documents. What is always impres-sive to me is how you interweave such serious topics with gentle humor to make the presentations always very engaging and informative. Your expertise really comes through as you answer all of their questions with such thoughtful and intelligent responses so they hopefully reach a deeper level of think-ing. I will certainly invite you back for the spring semester.” – Mercy College

“I support End of Life Choices NY because of the dedication of its team to its business-- that of working to assure better and more dignified end of life support for people. And since I’m in the fourth quarter of my life, EOLCNY’s business is my business.” – Donor

“Thank you so much. I am a clinical social worker who has worked in ICUs and in outpatient palliative care. I have patients who have tragically been dying very slowly from cancer and other illnesses. I want to learn about the bill’s status in the hopes that it might go through before she struggles more. I would like to learn more about our state legislative process, being restricted to only being a messenger of outdated or laws lacking reason or compassion is not where I want my professional existence to end.”

“On the End of Life Choices New York website, I saw information about the services of Judith Schwarz. I took a chance and emailed her, not really expecting a lot of help, but I was desperate. Judith got in touch with me right away and we talked about all of the decisions that I was facing. She not only talked to me about rights and responsibilities, but she genuinely was empathetic toward me, the caregiver, and the emotions I was feeling. Her support eased my anxiety immeasurably. Her guidance gave me the confidence to help my uncle in the final months of his life and I am at extremely grateful to End of Life Choices New York for this valuable program.”—Caregiver

“I just wanted to thank you on behalf of the family for being such a thoughtful and sympathetic guide to these thorny issues we’re wrestling with. We are so glad to have someone with your expertise and good sense as a partner, and we’ll definitely stay in touch.” – Caregiver of family member with dementia

Topics of presentations included:• Planning for a Better End of Life/ Planificando Un Mejor Final De La Vida• The Case for Medical Aid in Dying in New York• Voluntarily Stopping Eating & Drinking (VSED): An Overview• Being Mortal: Rights, Choices and Important Conversations• Health Matters for Seniors: Quality of Life In Later Years• Choice in Dying: Current Legal, Policy and Ethical Issues• How to Get Your End of Life Care Wishes Respected and Receive Good Quality Care

5000 and upCharles Lawrence Keith & Clara Miller FoundationHarold Edwards and Betty Rollin Charitable FundFaith Sommerfield Family FoundationGKV Charitable Foundation IncDr. Sandra HechtPatricia S. JosephJPB FoundationNational Network of Libraries of Medicine New York Foundation for EldercareJane Orans Saltzman Foundation

2500 to 4999Joan HabermanDorey Munch

1000 – 2499Adelaar FoundationSandra BergerPeter Bienstock and Peggy LeibowitzElizabeth BrodyJennifer A. DobbsMartin FrommerJoyce HomanJane & Martin Schwartz Family FoundationCathy MayJames & Margaret MillerIrene MorrisAdrienne ObrienCheryl PayerTerry PerlinDiana PhillipsPosner-Wallace FoundationWilliam Richard ReaderPeter RogatzKnud-Erik RosenkrantzThomas J. SchwartzJune ShapiroMichael Wolf

500 – 999Frederick FunkeJeanne GollyDr. Lynne Kwalwasser and Charles WertheimerLakomy Lyles Fund

Deborah LandisMiriam LawrenceDavid C. Leven and Marianne ArtusioBonnie MackeyBarbara MarwellPaul and Helga MorganNew York Community TrustBarbara Thacher PlimptonSascha M. RockefellerDr. Maxine RockoffFred SchwartzJewish Communal FundJudith K. SchwarzJudith SetlaThe Stanley and Eve Geller Family FoundationNadia SteinzorPeter StraussThe Richard Ravitch FoundationAnn ToweBurton Welte

250-499Mary AlexanderSandra and Arthur BissellDaniel E. FleshlerLinda FrankelMary Cox GoldenMimi HalpernMarsha HurstSusan KahnSteven KleinEve MayerPaul R. MendelsohnCarlin MeyerLaurie NashMr. and Mrs. Richard NelsonMr. and Mrs. Bruce PaisnerRobert RheinsteinDavid RivkinDiane RudnickLynn SchafranMitchell SilvermanJill SlaterJillian SlonimR F Teichgraeber IIIConnie VanceMarc N. WeissJacqueline and Hubert WilkeMartin ZausnerDeborah ZeiglerJames A. and Joan Levine

100 - 249Murray AbramskyEleanor AronsteinBarbara BelknapCathy BerkmanConstance BermanNancy BibermanLloyd L. BirlingameSheila L. Birnbaum Revocable TrustPatricia BothwellSarah BraffHilary BuchalterIrene BurnsLorraine Cali and Craig J. RogersEvangeline CaliandroMr. and Mrs. Joel ChaseSteven CohenCatherine DalyWalter DannhauserAllan L. DavisMr. and Mrs. R. Di GangiMary DiegertSally M. DorstMr. and Mrs. Richard DuaneLinda EdgerlyKatzman Elstein Jeffrey EnglishEsther FeigenbaumPatricia FellnerGail FerreroRichard FriedbergJudith FriedmanMark GastonEllen GibsonCaryl GoldsmithBenjamin Goldstein and Maria IronsideDavid and Felice GordisDeborah GraysonVirginia S. GreeneSarah GreenwoodCharles GuttmanLynn HallarmanMarilyn HametzPeter HellerMarina HeungDavid N. HoffmanSaralinda HookerCarol HopeSonia HymanRachel HymanKathe JervisDr. Mary W John

Dorothy JunkerNancy S. KailesEileen KaufmanDavid and Janet E. Kettler Sam KlagsbrunJames H. KoberVally KovaryDavid KraskowRachel KretserBeth LabushRichard and Doris LaPeraSylvia A. LawCatherine LeponeBurton Lerner and Lois WolfStephen LesnakJoan LevickRegina Levison Roy LevitMyra LevyLenore LevyPhyllis LidoHerbert and Dorothy LoblSharon LowenheimBarbara LubaschJoan M. LufranoAutumn MaelCarole MaiselLynne MalinaAnn MalloukkTerri Mangum Barbara ManningCamille ManningMarge MarashSilvia MarxJean McCreary and Gregory A. FranklinMarie McKellarColleen MeenanMargaret MehranAbigail MellenGurdon Howells MetzMarilyn MielkeVirginia H. MillerNina MillerHelen MitchellRose MooneyBarbara MorrisMargaret MorrisonRichard F. and Maryann NapoliStephen NevinMarvin and Judith Nierenberg Rose O’LearyKathie O’CallaghanPat and Don PalmerYvonne Pastolove

Amy Paul Harry and Marjorie PhillipsAnthony and Gloria PiccianoMaureen PierreRoy PlautLaura QuiggLiberty ReesAnn ReismanHal Brill and Joan Reisman-BrillJoyce L RichardsonBetsy RoistacherMr. and Mrs. Kenneth RomanConstancia A. RomillyStanley and Ruth RosenbergPaul Ross Barbara RothenbergAlbert RubenJane ScheiberGideon Schein Catherine SchmidtElizabeth SchneiderAaron SchneiderEric Seiff & Meredith FeinmanCarol SeligsonWilliam and Julie ShapiroNorma SimonLenore SkenazyDwight SmithYvonne Kray SokolowIrwin SolomonDr. Norman SolomonWilliam E. SpiroJoan and Peter StapleLaura SteinFrank SternHerbert StollerAleta Aslani StyersLinda TalbotEdward A ThorpJennifer TiptonFrancis UhlirMichele UrvaterJohn and Kathy Von HartzElisabeth WeaverGerald Wein Mr. & Dr. Seymour M. WeinsteinRobert WerbelDeborah Wetzel Norma WidmannDebra WillenLinda WilliamsSamuel Williamson Josephine and Greta Winograd

Thank YouThank YouTo Our Generous Supporters

Assets: Assets: Current AssetsCash $ 101,293Accounts Receivable 2,089Investments 174,763

LiabilitiesAccounts Payable $ 3,245Accrued Payroll Liabilities 14,085Payment Protection Program Loan 43,300

Net AssetsWithout Donor Restrictions $ 217,515With Donor RestrictionsTotal Net Assets 217, 515

Total Liabilities & Net Assets $ 278,145

Contributions $ 233,898Other Income 10,126Investment Return Net (5,974)

Program Services $ 314,887General and Administrative 32,540Fundraising 29,422

Change in Net Assets $ (138,799)Net Assets at Beginning of Year 356,314Net Assets at End of Year 217,515

End of Life Choices New YorkJuly 2019July 2019 to June 2020June 2020 Financials

Liabilities & Net Assets:Liabilities & Net Assets:

Support & Revenue:Support & Revenue:

Expenses: Expenses:

Total Assets $ 278,145

Total Revenues Without Donor Restrictions $ 238,050

Total $ 378,849

DONATEVisit: www.endoflifechoicesny.orgEmail: info@eolcny.orgCall: 212.726.2010

Mail: End of Life Choices New York244 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2010New York, NY 10001

Judith Schwarz, PhDClinical Director

Lillian Mehran, MPH, CHES

Director of Outreach and Education

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End of Life Choices New York Sta� and Consultants

Ayana Woods, MPH, Executive Director

Lillian Mehran, MPH, CHES, Director of Outreach & Education

Judith Schwarz, PhD, Clinical Director

David C. Leven, JD, Executive Director Emeritus & Senior Consultant

Constanza Prieto Figelist, Latino Outreach Coordinator

End of Life Choices New York Board of Directors

Peter Bienstock, JD, Board Member

Christina Coons, RN, BSN, PCC, CCM, Board President

David Ho� man, JD, Board Member

Lynne Kwalwasser, PhD, Board Member

Susan Nobel, LCSW, Board Member

Terry M. Perlin, Ph.D, Board Member (Former Board President)

Martha Quiros, CPA, Treasurer

Peter Rogatz, MD, MPH, Board Vice President

Fred Schwartz, MD, Board Member

Peter J. Strauss, JD, Board Member