Cortez-based health care provider Southwest Health System has opted out of Proposition 106, a new Colorado law that allows terminally ill patients to end their own lives.
In a release, Southwest Health System CEO Kent Rogers says the organization needs to undergo additional planning before actively aiding in a person’s end of life. Public Information Officer Haley Saunders said in a statement that the community also needs to assess whether it has enough resources, including a psychiatrist or psychologist to sign the required end-of life documents. About 60 percent of Montezuma County residents supported Proposition 106 in November, and the law allows healthcare providers to opt back in at a later date.
