From the National Women's Hall of Fame:
Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1926 - 2004) After graduating from the University of Zurich medical school,
Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross married and moved to the United States.
She began working in hospitals, where she was appalled at the treatment of terminally ill patients.
Her 1969 bestseller On Death and Dying revolutionized the medical profession's treatment and understanding of dying patients,
serving as a voice for the rights of the terminally ill.
Her work was a catalyst for now commonly accepted ideas such as hospice care, living wills,
and death with dignity.
The legacy of Dr. Kubler-Ross has been in challenging the medical profession to change their view of dying patients.
Though her research, her work and her advocacy for patients, changes occurred in how people at the end of life are cared for and treated.
Concepts evolved that included helping patients to die with dignity and respect, living wills and home health care.
Kubler-Ross's model of coping with life-threatening illness (DABDA) was developed close to 40 years ago.
While not without controversy, this model has helped provide a method for understanding how people cope with the prospect of dying,
as part of their life-threatening illness.
Her book On Death and Dying has became a classic and is included as one of the "One Hundred Most Important Books of the Century."
The book is still required reading at many medical, nursing, psychology programs and in college death and dying courses
to teach student about caring for patients at the end of life