Barbara Coombs Lee
AUTHOR

Barbara Coombs Lee

Health & Wellness
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A Note to Readers Finish Strong is for you, the healthcare consumer. It covers the tough issues around aging and dying other books shy away from. This book was a long time in the making—a lifetime actually. It offers some of the fruits of my labors in medicine and healthcare advocacy. If you count the years I volunteered as a candy striper under the stern tutelage of the nursing nuns at St. Joseph Hospital in Joliet, Illinois, I’ve worked in healthcare almost fifty-five years. Dozens of clinical settings and assignments, countless patient encounters, years of advocacy in courtrooms and statehouses, decades of observation and experience—those are the seeds of the fruits borne by these pages. In 2022, in creating the second edition of Finish Strong (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1732774463), I added a new chapter, “Race and Culture Matter.” It discusses the cultural differences, racial biases and institutional barriers that impact what the medical system offers people of diverse backgrounds, and the choices they make. My hope is that being aware of the cultural traditions and racial biases impacting healthcare can help people make choices that transcend those and reflect true, individual priorities at life’s end. Finishing strong will be different for different people. Some will examine their options carefully and decide to dedicate their final months to experimental and taxing treatment. Others may decide to spend precious energy focusing on passing life lessons and values on to their heirs. But for those who choose to “Finish Strong,” the common thread will be a certain strength in knowing that treatment decisions were well-considered, and they honored the values and beliefs that gave meaning to the life that is ending. Finish Strong reflects my passionate conviction that individuals can be empowered to chart a course for themselves and loved ones that reduces suffering and reflects their personal values and beliefs. I dearly hope the stories, commentary and tips in Finish Strong will have a positive influence on your life and your healthcare choices. * * * Author Bio Barbara Coombs Lee worked in healthcare as a clinician, policymaker and advocate for more than five decades. Her indelible bedside experiences forged a deep respect for individual values and beliefs and eventually led her to a career in law and health policy. For the past 25 years she has advocated for initiatives that allow individuals a full range of options and much greater agency in their healthcare decisions. Barbara’s work in public policy culminated in her roles as chief executive officer and president of Compassion & Choices, the nation’s oldest and largest organization working to empower everyone to chart their end-of-life journey. After serving in that capacity for 22 years, Barbara transitioned her role to President Emerita/Senior Adviser. Thousands of personal experiences and the teachings of scholars and thought leaders around the globe inform her perspective. Often quoted in the media, Barbara is a seasoned writer, speaker and commentator. Her previous book was Compassion in Dying: Stories of Dignity and Choice. Barbara’s passion for transforming the end-of-life experience by informing and empowering patients infuses FINISH STRONG. She calls for all Americans to join a patient-driven movement to dismantle the institutional and cultural barriers to living well to the very end. She lives in Oregon.
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