The American Medical Association recently voted to request further clarification of a report on physician-assisted suicide published by its Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs. That may sound dull and procedural, but it has an unmistakable significance for the doctors’ group, which has always opposed turning its members into life-enders instead of health-givers.

We all must keep an eye on what the AMA is considering regarding this dangerous public policy. The ramifications to the safety of our patients and the practice of medicine are profound.