For Immediate Release
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Joan Civile
U.S. Living Will Registry (908) 654-1441
[email protected]
Westfield, New Jersey — (August 1, 2007) — The U.S. Living Will Registry today announced its agreement with the state of Washington to develop, launch and maintain the new statewide advance directive registry. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Signed into law by Governor Christine Gregoire on March 17, 2006, the law establishes an electronic registry of advance directives. The U.S. Living Will Registry already hosts the Vermont State Advance Directive Registry, and will utilize its proprietary platform to customize a system to meet Washington’s specific needs.
“Our tried and true system can be easily adapted to each state’s specific requirements, allowing them to launch a statewide system quickly and without the expense of starting from scratch,” said Dr. Joseph Barmakian, President of the Westfield, NJ based U.S. Living Will Registry.
Washington is the latest entry on the list of states that have created an advance directive registry; they join North Carolina, Montana, Louisiana, Arizona and Vermont. Other states, such as Maryland and Idaho, are also considering creating their own statewide registries.
“State-run registries work because they can be specifically designed to comply with that state’s particular statutes and regulations,” continued Barmakian. “And they can also be used for organ donor registries, which is a big bonus.”
U.S. Living Will Registry personnel will work with Washington State Department of Health staffers to create the registry this summer. An autumn launch is anticipated.
Advance directives, commonly known as living wills and health care proxies, are legal documents that allow a person to make their health care wishes known if they are incapacitated and unable to make decisions for themselves. In a health care proxy (health care power of attorney), a person names someone to make decisions for them. Washington State residents will be able to electronically store their documents in the registry, and the securely-stored documents will be available instantly on-line to health care providers. Registrants will be sent update notices annually so the documents will remain up to date.
The U.S. Living Will Registry is the leading provider of advance directive management services in the country. Providing this service for more than ten years, The U.S. Living Will Registry is the largest secure web-based repository of advance directive documents in North America. For more information, visit www.uslivingwillregistry.com.
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