Jim deMaine spent nearly forty years caring for severely ill patients and witnessing their final days as a pulmonary and critical care specialist. He was the chief of medical specialties and co-chaired the ethics committee at Group Health Cooperative (now Kaiser Permanente). Dr. deMaine is honored to be a Clinical Professor of Medicine Emeritus at the University of Washington School of Medicine. His often dramatic experiences with patients near death led him to blog (www.endoflifeblog.com), then speak about their stories, with special attention to the issue of advocacy for patients unable to speak for themselves. Follow Dr. deMaine on Twitter @deMaineMD.