Mindy Cooper, MD
Practicing nephrology and internal medicine since 1993, Dr. Mindy Cooper joined Colorado Mountain Medical in 2008. She specializes in internal medicine and her areas of expertise include hypertension, kidney disease, diabetes, heart disease and complex medical problems. She is board certified in internal medicine and nephrology and is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Nephrology and the Colorado Medical Society. Dr. Cooper has special interest and expertise in end-of-life care as well as providing medical-aid-in-dying when appropriate.
In her spare time, Dr. Cooper enjoys playing squash, golf, skiing, cooking and practicing her Spanish.
Ruth Curran, MS
Ruth Curran is a social-impact advocate with expertise in non-profit systems and process, fundraising, program/project management, board development, and strategic partnership cultivation and management.
Ruth is a trained counselor with experience as a patient advocate for those facing barriers to services. She is passionate about ensuring access to care and support across the lifespan for all. She has worked in both domestic and global arenas to build connections and strong partnerships, and to facilitate operations. She brings her skills, gifts and talents to the End of Life Options Colorado Board of Directors.
Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN
Thalia DeWolf, is a certified hospice and palliative care nurse in Northern California with extensive experience in end-of-life care. She has provided bedside support to hundreds of aid-in-dying patients, both in hospice settings and through private practice.
She is passionate about educating and supporting nurses and hospice staff who deliver hand-on care to dying patients. Her commitment to improving end-of0life care continues in her current role as the Hospice Outreach and Nursing Education Coordinator at the Academy of Aid-in-Dying Medicine.
Ellen Friedman, MA
Ellen Friedman has been following an inner calling to educate, partner and companion people at the end-of-life for several decades. As a retired physical therapist, who worked across the continuum of healthcare, she discovered a sacred space being with people as they approach the conclusion of their life’s journey.
Ellen is passionate about people learning end-of-life options so that friends and family can honor their personal wishes. She serves people in-person in Mesa and Gunnison counties and virtually throughout the world. She brings a peaceful, loving presence to all converssations.
Constance Holden
Ms. Holden serves as a consultant on the Ethics Consultation Team at Boulder Community Health. She also serves on the Ethics Consultation Service of the American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying and as a board member for TRU Community Care in Lafayette, Colorado. She was a co-founder of the Conversation Project in Boulder County, modeled after the national project by the same name.
Ms. Holden holds a graduate degree in nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a focus in palliative care and oncology. After working at the besides of countless dying patients, she moved into hospice and hospital leadership positions, attemptin to create environments in which excellent end-of-life care could be provided.
S. Nichole Holzhauer-Feeney, MD
Dr. Nichole Holzhauer-Feeney is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and as a Hospice Medical Director. Currently, she works as a medical director for Abode Hospice, bringing more than 20 years of experience to the community in Grand Junction, Colorado.
As part of her job, she has been helping patients to access information and resources related to medical-aid-in-dying. She serves as a resource for physicians in her area who need support and information related to this process.
Laura E. Hughes, MD
Dr. Laura E. Hughes is a Clinical Instructor of Palliative Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (UC SOM), board-certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice & Palliative care. She worked as a hospice medical director for TRU Community care, then joined the Supportive (Palliative) Care department at Kaiser Permanente Colorado in 2017, splitting her time between the out-patient continuity clinic and in-patient Palliative Care Consultation Service. Dr. Hughes joined the UC SOM faculty in 2025 and looks forward to new opportunities to teach and contribute to the field of Palliative Medicine.
Eric Jepsen, MA
Eric Jepsen has a diverse background rooted in engineering and over 20 years of experience as a business owner. He is passionate about exploring varioius fields of engineering, science, and the complexities of the human experience, particularly in the area of compassionate end-of-life care. In 2019, Eric started a small care facility dedicated to creating a serene and meaningful environment for those in their final days, offering them a beautiful and dignified farewell.
Outside of work, Eric cherishes time with friends and family, outdoor adventures, and engaging in deep, meaningful conversations.
Kevin J. Malone
Kevin J. Malone is a Partner in the national law firm, Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. and his specialty is health care law. He serves as counsel to multiple aid-in-dying medical groups and non-profit organizations. Kevin previously worked within the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), implementing demonstration programs to integrate the financing and delivery of Medicaid and Medicare benefits for dually-eligible beneficiaries with disabilities and co-occurring complex medical conditions. Before joining CMS, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia, where he founded the nation’s first male-focused domestic violence prevention project.
Kerri Mason, MD
Dr. Kerri Mason is a board-certified emergency medicine physician. She has been an attending physician for the Denver Health Residency in Emergency Medicine for the last 15 years. Kerri is also an assistant professor of emergency medicine for the University of Colorado’s School of Medicine.
Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time with her partner, Bo, and their four children adventuring in Colorado.
Barbara Morris, MD, MPA
As a geriatrician, Barbara is a strong proponent of the Colorado End of Life Options Act. She is a fierce defender of every Coloradoan’s right to patient-centered end-of-life care with equal access to all legal options. In her consulting practice, she works with patients and families to understand their care management and end of life needs. She is proud to be a founding member of End of Life Options Colorado’s Board of Directors.
Barbara lives in Golden, Colorado with her husband and her devoted chihuahua. She thrives on enjoying the beauty and peace of the Colorado mountains. In addition to her role with End of Life Options Colorado, she is an emeritus member of the Board of Directors of the Family Tree in Denver, and a team leader for several international and domestic volunteer programs. Barbara has served on over 27 volunteer teams in the U.S., India, Vietnam, Ecuador, Peru, Tanzania, Paraguay, Guatemala and Cuba.
Beth Patterson, MAR
Beth Patterson is a palliative care chaplain currently with UCH, providing care in both in-patient and out-patient roles. She has over 25 years of both hospice-related experience and, now, five years of direct palliative care support. Her hospice experience has included: bereavement, children’s programs, philanthropy, program design and management. She completed her palliative care chaplaincy fellowship through the clinical pastoral care program at UCH in 2020. Beth has been a clinical chaplain for 14 years and is also a palliative care doula.
Currently, she is involved with both CU clinical trials and becoming licensed as a psilocybin assisted therapy supporter, with a focus on advanced disease support.
She loves to work, considering it “play,” in the fields of existential questions, struggle, opening to the large questions of life and the mysteries they bring forward. As Beth winds down her official career, she is winding up to the next chapter exploring how she may be of service to her fellow humans and to the “more than human” world. She has a profound interest in how humans can grow throughout their lifetimes, to their final breath.
Beth has deep connections to Colorado as well as Oregon. She has a grown daughter and family, including two teenaged grandchildren who live in Pagosa Springs.
Sonny Vukic, PT, MBA
Sonny Vuckic has dedicated his decades-long healthcare career to creating an exceptional experience for patients and their families. As a clinician, he has cared for patients in a variety of physical rehabilitation settings where he served patients ranging from newborns to the elderly. Sonny’s guiding principle is consistent: make the healthcare experience exceptional for every patient, every day.
Sonny is passionate about end-of-life care, or more specifically, high care quality that pairs high dignity and optimal autonomy for those who are approaching end–of-life. For nearly a decade, he has held leadership roles within hospice agencies and currently serves as Chief Operating Office for a California hospice.
Outside of work, Sonny is an avid reader and book collector. He enjoys gardening, writing and attending the theater.