Rights of Passage provides clinical and trauma-informed care for individuals considering medical aid in dying (legal in New Mexico since 2021), voluntary stopping of eating and drinking, conscious dying techniques, and other choices at end-of-life.
(505) 660-1446
info@rightsofpassage.org
What We Do
From the first visit to the last, we give direct medical care as needed, including consultations, assessments, exams, treatments and prescriptions. We provide detailed anticipatory guidance to support your access to the kind of death you want to create.
Our first consultations with patients are centered around learning the patient’s values, wishes, fears and hopes. With your permission, work closely with the existing care team, including individuals and agencies. Your privacy is always respected.
We prescribe any needed medications, and a member of our team will personally attend the death of our patients. We support families with the immediate aftercare of their loved one as desired. For more information about patient care, see our frequently asked questions.
Rights of Passage also supports our colleagues with trainings for hospice organizations, health professionals, and care providers.
Our work is supported by tax deductible donations from patients, their families, foundations and other generous donors. Medical services are provided on a sliding scale for New Mexicans of all income levels.
Who We Are
The highly trained clinicians who work with Rights of Passage have decades of experience in Palliative, Hospice, Family, and Emergency Medicine specialties. They regularly review best practices to continually raise the bar for the highest standards of end of life care.
Are you a clinician who would like to work with us?
Please get in touch – we’d love to hear from you!
Our Philosophy
All people have the right to choose their own path. As death approaches, we center our care around your values. We provide care regardless of economic resources. We are honored to support all choices.
Leah Becker PA-C, Executive Director
Leah first worked with the dying in the early ’90s at The Hospice at Mission Hill in Boston, MA. This experience inspired her to embark on her Physician Assistant training at the Yale School of Medicine, completed in 1997. She has worked in Family Practice since then, and with the passage of New Mexico’s Elizabeth Whitefield End-of-Life Options Act in 2021, she has focused on end of life care.
Leah values science-backed medicine, and supports alternative approaches to health care. As a faculty member for VitalTalk trainings, a Somatic Experiencing™ trauma therapy provider, and a trained end of life doula, she brings compassionate communication skills, trauma informed practices, and a holistic perspective to her medical work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to use medical aid in dying?
Your first consultation with us is billed at $250 per hour, and usually takes no more than one hour. After that, you can continue to pay this hourly rate, or make a single payment that covers all our services going forward.
For more details, please refer to our payment information page.
$250 is a lot for me. How can I make sure the consultation will only take an hour?
Great question. First, review the eligibility requirements outlined on the End of Life Options NM website to be sure you or your loved one is likely to be eligible. (Actually, comb through their entire website!)
Do you see patients outside of Santa Fe?
Absolutely! If distance is an obstacle, we can start with the consultation by video telemedicine. We always prefer to meet in person whenever possible.
What happens in consultations?
We meet with you and review your criteria for eligibility. We explain what happens on the day of death for folks who chose this approach, and we give our recommendations to help you achieve the death you want. If you are eligible, and you wish to proceed, you and two witnesses will review and sign some simple paperwork to complete your official Request to End My Life in a Peaceful Manner. This allows us to write your prescription.
Then what? How long do the next steps take?
Once we have your Request to End My Life in a Peaceful Manner signed and witnessed, we can immediately send in the prescription. Only compounding pharmacies can fill this prescription, and they are only open on weekdays. They are legally allowed to take 48 hours to fill the prescription (this can be waived if death is imminent or pain is unmanageable.) Depending on your location and which pharmacy is used, the prescription can often be delivered directly to your home. It is ALWAYS your choice whether or not to use the medication.
Who is with me when I take the medication?
What if I’m not eligible?
For folks who are not yet eligible for Medical Aid in Dying, we will counsel you on your legal options. You can hire us to support your chosen plan of care going forward.
I have a question that you didn’t answer - what should I do?
Please reach out to us! We want all your questions to be answered.
In-Service Training for Colleagues
Rights of Passage offers in-service training for your organization, and we will tailor our presentation to meet your staff’s particular needs. Among other topics, our trainings address:
Improving outcomes and streamlining care through compassionate communication skills
The legal implications for colleagues who make referrals
What hospice staff need to know about legal and medical issues in Medical Aid in Dying
How to bring a trauma informed perspective to the bedside
How does the NM law apply to your organization
Which patients are eligible for Medical Aid in Dying
How to reduce burnout and care for the providers at your agency when a patient chooses Medical Aid in Dying
More Resources
These organizations provide excellent education on end-of-life choices and laws.
End of Life Options New Mexico
End of Life Options New Mexico was the first agency on the ground here in NM, invaluable in getting our right-to-die law passed, and now providing information and support for all end-of-life options, including medical aid in dying.
Academy of Aid-in-Dying Medicine
AADM educates clinicians about medical aid in dying, from clinical discussions to evidence-based knowledge, from nursing care to the work of volunteers at the bedside, from medical ethics to pharmacology, and more.
Compassion and Choices
Compassion and Choices supports national and local efforts to legalize medically assisted deaths, inform the public of their options, and educate the public and medical professionals at the highest level.
Death with Dignity
Death with Dignity focuses on advocacy and legal reform. Their values strongly favor freedom and autonomy and the result of their work is a tangible empowerment for all interested parties.
Contact Us
We warmly invite you to make a referral for a patient, or to contact us to discuss your own options at (505) 660-1446.
Rights of Passage, Inc.
PO Box 4383
Santa Fe, NM 87502
