They are preventable causes of death and as physicians, we think it's important.

We worked hard on it, but the Legislature did not respond. We had some support but many of (legislators) were not as interested in the initiative as we wanted them to be.

For the most part, people have been supportive. I estimate about 75 to 80 percent of the people we ask actually sign the petition. It's getting close now.

We found no consensus among physicians about what is customary or appropriate. Despite efforts to standardize many aspects of the doctor-patient relationship, patients are likely to encounter very different approaches.

Boone Pickens is one of this country's greatest philanthropists, and Eugene Frenkel is one of its finest physicians, so this partnership is as appropriate as it is meaningful.

Our presence on site on a daily basis helps our physicians with their diagnostic dilemmas. If you don't provide the service, someone else will.