End-of-Life Planning
A Practical Guide to Living Life and Facing Death
with
Michael Gaddini, MD and Sarah Johnson, RN
Sunday, May 25th
1-3 PM
"Next to birth, death is one of our most profound experiences – shouldn’t we talk about it, prepare for it, use what it can teach us about how to live?"
– A Beginner’s Guide to the End, BJ Miller, MD & Shoshana Berger
This informative and supportive workshop invites you to engage with one of life’s most universal – and often avoided – topics: our own mortality. Through practical guidance and reflective conversation, we’ll explore how planning for the end-of-life can help us live more fully in the present.
Together, we’ll consider:
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What matters most to you
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How to make decisions that align with your values and wishes
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The difference between curative and comfort care
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How to weigh the benefits and burdens of medical treatment
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Essential tools and documents to support your journey
Whether you're just beginning to think about these questions or looking to revisit your plans with more clarity, this workshop offers a compassionate space to explore, prepare, and be empowered.
Cost: Free
Dr. Michael Gaddini MD is a 68-year-old newly retired physician who previously had a 35 year family practice in Folsom California, and most recently an 8 eight year career as a medical director with Snowline Hospice in El Dorado and Sacramento Counties. He graduated from UCSF school of medicine in 1983, And completed his family practice residency at Scenic General Hospital in Modesto in 1986. His career has been marked by a passion for end of life care in the past 15 years and he has taught and lectured extensively on this topic.
Sarah Johnson began her hospice career in 1983 in San Francisco during the height of the AIDS epidemic. For decades, she served as a hospice RN across the Bay Area, offering compassionate care in times of profound vulnerability.
After earning a Master of Theological Studies from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley and completing chaplaincy training at Alta Bates Hospital, Sarah transitioned into hospice chaplaincy—furthering her lifelong commitment to walking alongside individuals and families through grief and loss.
Her journey later expanded into Organizational Development, consulting internally at Stanford Children’s Hospital and externally with mission-driven organizations throughout the Bay Area. Today, she continues to support organizations as a consultant and serves as a trained Spiritual Director at San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville, CA.
Sarah is deeply committed to the sacred work of presence, listening, and healing connection as an expression of the transformative love of Christ in both living and dying.
