Advance Directive MD

04/23/2026

Well, it’s been a week! You know that friend you have who celebrates their birthday for a whole week? That was me, celebrating National Healthcare Decisions Day for seven days straight.

I was a panelist for the Montgomery County Coalition on End of Life Care, then on for a live segment, and wrapped it up attending the National Conversation on Advanced Illness and End-of-Life Care.

Feeling tired, but energized! That last pic is me with a hot mic!

04/23/2026

“If time becomes short, I want to make sure I understand what is most important to you.”

“What brings you value each day?”

“What do you wake up for in the morning?”

“What activity, if you could no longer do it, would make your life not worth living?”

There are many ways to ask these questions, but the goal is to understand your loved one’s values. What brings them meaning?

Our discussion at this recent esteemed panel on end-of-life conversations kept coming back to understanding this core value in our family members and our patients.

It was an honor to be a guest with The Washington Home and it is a privilege to serve on their advisory board.

04/23/2026

I’ll tell you the secret to getting the kind of care you would want at the end of life.

It all comes down to thinking about your medical wishes—truly identifying what gives your daily life value and meaning. Then, discussing these wishes with your medical decision makers in advance.

The cherry on top is the document of the advance directive.

This talk last night was music to my ears!

🌺 We spent an inspired and informative evening together with our partners, healthcare and business professionals, policymakers, philanthropists, and community members, discussing candid, solutions‑focused ways to strengthen compassionate & sustainable care for individuals and families facing critical illness and end-of-life challenges.

As part of our mission, TWH is committed to supporting critical-care related initiatives in our community. We were honored to be a gold sponsor of the Chapters Health Foundation's event focused on transforming the national conversation on advanced illness and end-of-life care.



📷 Experts Guiding the National Conversation:
Moderator (Far-R): Andrew Molosky MBA, FACHE, President & Chief Executive Officer, Chapters Health System | Panelists (L-R): John Whyte, MD, MPH, CEO & Executive Vice President, American Medical Association; Professor Venki Ramakrishnan, 2009 Nobel Laureate, scientist, author, and venture capitalist; Marwa El-Menshawi, MD, Chief Operating Officer, PACE Chapters Health System

📷 Patricia Ndimantang, MPP; Crystal Carr Townsend; Eleanor Tanno, M.D.; Sharon Collins Casey; Todd Pittman; | Tiffany Oscar, MPA, LICSW

04/19/2026

04/17/2026

I had an incredible opportunity to do a brief segment on live TV yesterday for National Healthcare Decisions Day. I was invited to be on the local DC Fox 5 morning show

Fox 5 DC

04/16/2026

Today is National Healthcare Decisions Day and I had the amazing opportunity to do a LIVE segment this morning on our local news station!

I’ll post the clip when I get it!

03/16/2026

Join me and estate attorney June Fan Wednesday, March 18 at noon for a free webinar on Demystifying Advance Directives!

FREE WEBINAR

I’m inviting you to join our upcoming webinar on creating a meaningful advance directive and understanding your medical wishes.

📅 March 18, 2026
⏰ 12:00 PM EST

Guest Speaker: Dr. Eleanor Tanno

During the session, Dr. Tanno will cover:
• What an advance directive is
• What a medical power of attorney does
• How to choose the right person to make medical decisions for you
• The one key question that helps clarify your medical wishes

Register at https://forms.gle/98HfTNWeGNwpvwcx6

Feel free to invite a friend or loved one who may benefit from this conversation.

02/04/2026

More from my podcast episode with end-of-life doula Traci Arieli

01/31/2026

More from my interview with Comforting Closure.

01/28/2026

I recently had the opportunity to record a podcast episode “how to talk to your doctor about your advance directive” with host Traci Arieli, PMP, CEOLD of Comforting Closure.

I thought it was such a great topic that I synthesized it into a simple article. Please share with anyone who may need to see this.

Anyone who is dealing with:

➡️significant chronic illness (history of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes)
➡️ multiple hospitalizations in the past 12 months
➡️ an early dementia diagnosis
➡️ cancer or other serious illness
➡️ a mental health disorder that may put them at risk of hospitalization

…or just you, your spouse, your parents

By Eleanor Tanno, M.D. Many people want to talk to their doctor about creating an advance directive. This is understandable since the process can seem daunting. For many, discussing their wishes with a trusted, medical professional brings reassurance and comfort. Your primary care physician (P*P) is...

01/28/2026

I had the pleasure of recording a podcast episode “how to talk to your doctor about your advance directive”

01/25/2026

Ask any physician, patients tell us things that sear into our minds. A recent patient said this to me about her end-of-life planning:

“I want quality not existence.”

This five word statement holds so much wisdom.

It is like a North Star to guide her medical care. These words convey so much more than a check list of life sustaining interventions.

This is what I teach about advance directives. They do not need to be big and scary. They do not need to be full of legal or medical jargon.

They just need to be simple statements that embody your values. These statements guide the person you designate as your medical decision maker, the person who becomes your voice to the medical team.

It’s actually quite beautiful when done in a meaningful way.