Center for Clinical Ethics and Humanities in Health Care
Bioethics Bulletin
Editor: Tim Madigan
December 1996
Volume Three, Number Twelve
Co-Directors: Gerald Logue, MD and Stephen Wear, PhD
Associate Director:
Jack Freer, MD
Research Associates:
Charles Jack and
Adrianne McEvoy
Address: Center for Clinical Ethics and Humanities in Health Care
Veteran's Affairs Medical Center
3495 Bailey Avenue Buffalo, NY 14215
Telephone: 862-3412 FAX: 862-4748
Website:
http://wings.buffalo.edu/faculty/research/bioethics/
Send E-mail to: wear@acsu.buffalo.edu.
Newsletter Distribution
This newsletter can be delivered to you via e-mail or fax or over the
internet (forward your request to: Jack Freer, MD at: jfreer@buffalo.edu).
If you prefer fax, call 862-3412 and leave
your fax number. We encourage and appreciate the use of e-mail and fax
distribution rather than paper for the newsletter.
Center Listservers
The Center now maintains two automated e-mail listservers. BIOETH-LIST
is primarily designed for those in the Greater Buffalo area and permits
subscribers to post to the list. This list is available for posting
local announcements, as well as a medium for discussion of relevant
topics. It will also distribute the Center newsletter, "Bioethics
Bulletin." If you are on this list, you can send a message to the
entire list by addressing the message to:
BIOETHLIST@listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu.
BIOBUL-LIST is strictly used for distribution of "Bioethics Bulletin"
and is mainly for those outside of Western New York. If you have
further questions about this service, contact Jack Freer at 887-4852 or
at: jfreer@buffalo.edu.
Upcoming Center Meetings
The Center currently has three committees: Community Affairs,
Education and Research. All Center members are welcome to
participate in these committees.
Center Reading Group
The Center has established a second reading and research group (beyond
the "Health Care Policy Group"), the purpose of which is to discuss in-
progress publications and encourage new publications and allied
research activities. The group has chosen to focus on the general area
of death and dying during the Fall/Spring semesters. There will be one
meeting held in December, at the Center for Inquiry, 1310 Sweet Home
Road, between Maple and Rensch Roads (look for the twin red-and-white
gates). The date is Wednesday, December 4th. Newcomers are welcome.
Contact Adrianne McEvoy
Adrianne McEvoy at the Center (862-3412) for information and
materials.
Spring Symposium
The month of November was an important time for the Center, which
sponsored two successful events: the symposium on SUNY-Buffalo
Distinguished Professor Leslie Fiedler's latest book The Tyranny of
the Normal, on Nov. 8, and the Symposium on Ethics and Values in
Medicine and the Biomedical Sciences (held in conjunction with the
SUNY-Buffalo Sesquicentennial Celebration), Nov. 15-16. Both were well-
attended, and demonstrated that interest in biomedical ethics is high
in the Western New York area.
The Center for Clinical Ethics and Humanities in Health Care would like
to sponsor one or more similar events in the Spring, and welcomes your
suggestions for topics and speakers. If you would like to help to plan
such events, or have any suggestions, please contact Tim Madigan at
636-7571; e-mail: timmadigan@aol.com.
Upcoming Lectures
Thursday, January 2. "Evaluating Medical Learning in a Generalist
Practice in the Ambulatory Setting. Research in Progress." 7:45 AM -
8:45 AM. Presenters: Paul James, MD, and Don Pollock, PhD. Lippschutz
Room, Biomedical Education Building (formerly the C/F/S Addition).
Sponsored by the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, SUNY-
Buffalo through the Department of Medicine. Approved for 1.0 hours of
AMA/PRA Category 1 credit. For further information, contact Beverly
Horrigan at 887-5016.
Tuesday, December 3. "Assessing the Rationality of Suicide and Assisted Suicide." 3:30pm. Dr Carlos G. Prado (Queen's University). University Hall 316, McMaster University:
Current debate about assisted suicide raises some complex questions: Can suicide be rational? Just how coherent is the notion of "assisted suicide"? If patients can shift the burden of suicidal decisions onto physicians, might not phy
sicians shift the burden of euthanatic decisions to patients under the guise of assisting suicide? Is the worry about legalized assisted suicide being abused one about past and likely future practice, or is it about dangerous re-e
ducation? Clinicians tend to be dismissive of ethical theory, more often seeking guidance in anecdotal "case studies" than in philosophical treatises; how can we close the theory/practice gap to insure that sound ethical principles will gover
n legalized assisted suicide? Should empathetic understanding of particular patients' situations
take precedence over abstract principles?
For more information, contact
Jason Scott Robert (905) 527-1038.
Monday, January 13. "Ethico-Legal Decisions: Crisis in Health Care."
Buffalo General Hospital. 8:45 AM - 4:00 PM. Sponsored by the
Professional Nurses Association of Western New York. This program is
designed to be a forum in the exploration of ethical and legal issues
commonly faced by registered nurses in their everyday practice. It will
cover the opportunity for definition, clarification and application of
principles learned. Speakers include: Donna M. Leney, RN, M Ed, MS,
former director of the nursing program at Genesee Community College in
Batavia, and developer of the educational module entitled "Ethical
Decisions in Nursing"; Rev. Richard Augustyn, member of the internal
review committee and the Institutional Review Board at Buffalo General,
and co-pastor at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church; and Julie M.
Bargnesis, BSN, JD, a nurse/attorney with the firm of Damon and Morey.
This program has been granted 6.6 contact hours of continuing education
credit from the New York State Nurses Association. Registration fee:
$35.00 for members of District 1, NYSNA; $50.00 for non-members; $15.00
for students who have not yet earned RN credit. Make checks payable to:
District 1, NYSNA, Inc., 4248 Ridge Lea Road, Amherst, NY 14226. For
further information, call Moira Schorr, Executive Director, at 832-
8455.
Roswell Park Course To Be Offered
Howard J. Allen, PhD, MSW, a doctor in the departments of Gynecologic
Oncology and Biochemistry at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, will be
offering a seminar in psychosocial genetics. The objective of the
course will be to present, discuss and generate awareness of developing
medical, social, ethical and legal issues emanating from current
advances in genetics and how these issues may impact on individuals,
families and society. The course will consider, but not be limited to,
issues of predictive testing, confidentiality, privacy, insurability,
employability, right-to-know, genetic legislation, standards of care,
reproduction planning, protection from research risks, and economics. A
date has not yet been set, but it will probably be offered in the
Spring. If you would like further information, contact Dr. Allen at
845-5725.
Call for Papers
The spring meeting of the American Academy of Religion-Eastern
International Region will be held from April 4-5, 1997 at
D'Youville College. In recognition of strong degree programs in
health related fields at D'Youville, one of the highlighted
themes will be "religion and health." Dr. Stephen Post (Case
Western University) will address the plenary session on "Religion,
Ethics, and the Genome Project."
Proposals for papers or panels are invited. Proposals are
especially encouraged in three areas to be highlighted at the
meetings: religion and health; religion in the Eastern
International Region; and the academic study of religion.
Submissions should include a one page abstract, the name, address,
telephone number and institutional affiliation of the person(s)
submitting the proposal. Although later proposals will be
considered, a first review of submissions take place at the
November 1996 national meeting of the AAR; so submission of
proposals by November 15 is encouraged. They should be sent to:
Paul R. Johnson, PhD; Program Coordinator AAR-EIR; Division of
Liberal Arts; D'Youville College, 320 Porter Avenue; Buffalo,
NY 14201. The office telephone is 881-7608; fax is 881-7760.
Members Corner
The Members Corner is designed to note research, presentations and
published articles and books by Center members. Please send all
such information to the newsletter editor so that the Center can
keep members informed about the work occurring in this area.
Comments and Suggestions
Your comments and suggestions regarding this newsletter are encouraged.
Please send them to the Center address, or by e-mail to the newsletter
editor, Tim Madigan - timmadigan@aol.com. We also need
information on upcoming events that would be of interest to Center
members. The deadline for the next newsletter is December 15th.