March - April 2023

Vermont Advance Directive Week begins Sunday, April 9th

Find an event near you!


Vermont Advance Directive Week is an extension of National Healthcare Decisions Day, and is an annual reminder that conversations about our future health care are the foundation of quality, person-centered care.


Visit The Conversation Project to find more tools to start your conversation today. If you're ready to complete your directive, all forms and instructions are available on our Taking Steps page.


Upcoming Events:


A Review of Advance Directives & FAQs (Zoom Seminar)

April 11, 2023: 12:00-1:00pm

  • For volunteers, case workers, clinicians and other professionals who support community members completing advance directives.
  • Presented by Taylor Murray, ACP Program Manager, VT Ethics Network
  • Register Here


Getting Started with your Advance Directive (Zoom Seminar)

April 13, 2023: 12:00-1:00pm

  • For all Vermonters who want to learn more about advance directives and how to complete their own document.
  • Presented by Taylor Murray, ACP Program Manager, VT Ethics Network
  • Register Here


Gifford Advance Care Planning Fair (In-Person Event)

April 21, 2023: 1:00-4:00pm

  • Stop by and update or complete your advance directives, as well as hear from community partners about resources for future care needs. 
  • View Flyer


More Events

NH & VT Ethics Committees Event: April 13, 2023

In-person event at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

For ethics committee members and anyone interested in ethics in NH & VT.


Ethics Committee Pre-Meeting Discussion

(10:30am-12:00pm)


Informal gathering to provide an opportunity for hospital ethics committee members to reconnect with their colleagues from across the state, to discuss frequently recurring ethics issues, to hear about legislative efforts underway, and to strategize about how VEN can best support your ongoing work.


The 53rd Meeting of the NH/VT Ethics Committees

(1:00 – 4:00 p.m.)


Is it appropriate for ethicists to engage in professional advocacy? If so, how can we be effective while managing our own biases?


Advocacy can be defined as “support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy.” It is also viewed as a responsibility to promote individual and social good/change and address disparities. Many healthcare professionals believe that serving in the role of advocate is an essential, though difficult, part of the role of all healthcare professionals. Please join us as we discuss advocacy as a professional responsibility and share strategies that will help participants to recognize injustice and influence change in their unique settings. Best practice in informing policymakers (local and broader) will be presented.

Visit Registration Page

2023 Spring Palliative Care Series


Navigating the Space Between: A nuanced approach to caring for the seriously ill


This seminar series kicks off on Tuesday, April 18th with They Just Don’t Get It: Serious illness communication strategies, skills, opportunities and pitfalls, presented by Diana Barnard, MD. Registration is now open for this session, and a full schedule of all seminars is available below.


All sessions are held via Zoom, from 12:00 – 1:15 p.m.



  • Tuesday, April 25, 2023 – Mining the Language Gap: The words we use may not always convey the meaning we intend – Presented by Steve Berns, MD, Kacey Boyle, MSPC, RN, CHPN and Jennifer Hauptman, MSW, LICSW
  • Thursday, May 4, 2023 – Uncertain End of Life Trajectory: Care implications for patients with sever psychiatric illness – Presented by Steven Runyon, DO and Belle Matheson, NP
  • Tuesday, May 9, 2023 – Clear as Mud: The nuances of hospice eligibility & financial issues at end of life – Presented by Joyce Dobbertin, MD
  • Wednesday, May 17, 2023 – Use of Opioids in Serious Illness: Inpatient and outpatient considerations – Presented by Allen Hutcheson, MD
Visit Series Registration Page

Are you a health care provider? Get Access to the Vermont Advance Directive Registry Today!


Vermont healthcare providers can receive authorized user access to query the registry for patient directives. This is an important step in supporting your patients in advance care planning conversations and ensures that you have access to the most current health planning documents when you need them. 


Application Form & Instructions

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