San Rafael residents will get a rare chance to hear directly from physicians, a death doula and hospice leaders about end-of-life decision-making at a free public event on the Dominican University of California campus in September.
By the Bay Health and Dominican University will screen the PBS documentary "When My Time Comes" on Wednesday, Sept. 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. in Guzman Lecture Hall, followed by a panel discussion on Medical Aid in Dying, serious illness and compassionate care planning, according to Dominican University. Admission is free. Registration is required through Eventbrite.
The documentary follows Peabody Award-winning journalist Diane Rehm's personal journey after her husband John died in 2014 from Parkinson's disease, having been denied medical aid in dying in Maryland. Rehm speaks with patients, families, clinicians, clergy and policymakers across the country.
"It's been such a taboo subject for many of us for too long," Rehm says in the film. "But if we can discuss what we want with our friends, our doctors, our families, if we can make our own wishes known to those who care about us, everyone will be more prepared."
Four panelists will take the stage after the screening:
- Deborah Meshel, assistant professor of nursing at Dominican University
- Dr. Carolyn Rennels, assistant clinical professor of palliative medicine and physician lead for Medical Aid in Dying at UCSF Health
- Diane Button, death doula and author of "What Matters Most" (Penguin Random House, 2025)
- Victoria Wilkinson, director of patient care services at By the Bay Health
Skelly Wingard, CEO of By the Bay Health, will moderate. The Marin County-based nonprofit is Northern California's largest independent hospice, palliative care and home health provider, with roots in the community stretching back 50 years to its founding as Hospice of Marin in 1975.
The event comes as California's End of Life Option Act stands on firmer legal ground. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 403 in October 2025, removing a sunset clause that would have ended the law in 2031 and making medical aid in dying a permanent option for terminally ill Californians with six months or less to live.
Dominican and By the Bay Health have an existing partnership through a nursing internship program and the Pat Kendall Memorial Nursing Scholarship, for which Dominican was the inaugural recipient in 2025.
Button, a founding partner of the Bay Area End-of-Life Doula Alliance, wrote in the introduction to her 2025 book: "I'm a death doula, a companion for the dying. The sad part about my work is that all my clients die. The beautiful part is they all leave so much of themselves behind for us to learn and grow from."
Free parking is available in the Conlan Center parking lot at Grand and Acacia avenues. The event is at Dominican University of California, 50 Acacia Ave., San Rafael. No additional public screenings have been announced.
