Center for Clinical Ethics and Humanities in Health Care

Bioethics Bulletin

Editor: Tim Madigan
January 1997

Volume Four, Number One

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.

Community Affairs Committee

There will be a meeting of the Community Affairs Committee on Tuesday, January 14 at 4:00 PM, at the Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), in Conference Room A on the third floor (Administration Suite). The agenda includes planning for the coming year. All Center members are welcome to attend. For further information, contact Adrianne McEvoy at 862-3412; e-mail: adrianne@netacc.net.

Ethics Grand Rounds

The Ethics Grand Rounds sponsored by the ECMC Network Ethics Committee will be held on Friday, January 17, in the Smith Auditorium on the Third Floor, from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM. Topic: Health Care Proxies and Interfacility Collaboration. Objectives:

Raise awareness of Health Care Proxy issues as patients move between facilities.
Identify ramifications to the patients and facilities when issues of Health Care Proxy are present.
Identify more effective approaches to interfacility collaboration and communication. The panel consists of: Diane Bookhagen, RN, Case Manager, ECMC; Dr. Marguerite Coppens, Acute Geriatric Service, ECMC; Timothy Trost, Attorney; Judith Hutson, Director of Social Work, Erie County Home; Robert Heicklen, ACSW, Director, Social Work and Discharge Planning Services.

Center Reading Group

The Center has established a second reading and research 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 1996-97 ACADEMIC YEAR. There will be one meeting held in January, 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, January 15. There will be a discussion of various advance directives, led by Center co-director Stephen Wear, PhD. Group members will fill out health care proxy forms and a typical living will and then discuss the choices they made and how effective these mediums are likely to be. Allied readings will be sent to regular participants; newcomers are welcome. Contact Adrianne McEvoy at the Center (862-3412) for information and materials.

Upcoming Lectures

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.

Thursday, February 6. "Screening for Colorectal Cancer: Are Current Recommendations Realistic or Affordable?" Presenter: Peter Lance, MD. Lippschutz Room, Biomedical Education Building (formerly the C/F/S Addition). City-Wide Grand Rounds -Sponsored by the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo through the Department of Medicine. 7:45 AM - 8:45 AM. Approved for 1.0 hours of AMA/PRA Category 1 credit. For further information, contact Beverly Horrigan at 887-5016.

Conference News

On April 4-5, 1997 D'Youville College will host the Eastern International Region Meeting of the American Academy of Religion. Papers to be presented will include a wide range of issues in the academic study of religion. Because of D'Youville's strong association with degree programs in health care fields, one of the featured themes at this conference will be religion and health. Featured speakers include: Professor Stephen Post of Case Western Reserve University, on the topic "Religion, Ethics, and the Human Genome Project"; and Professor Leslie Fiedler of SUNY-Buffalo, author of the recent book The Tyranny of the Normal: ESsays on Bioethics, Theology, and Myth. Other anticipated papers deal with such topics as healing and symbols in medicine and religion; near-death experiences; the Genome Project; ethical and theological reflections on disability and retardation; and religious and medical approaches to the concept of the human body. Registration information and a program outline will be available in late January. To be placed on a mailing list, contact: Dr. Paul R. Johnson, Program Coordinator, AAR-EIR, D'Youville College, 320 Porter Avenue, Buffalo, New York 14201; fax: 881-7760.

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. The course begins on Thursday, January 23, and will meet from 12:00 to 12:50 PM, at the Research Study Center, Room 400, at Roswell Park. There are no prerequisites. If you would like further information, contact Dr. Allen at 845-5725.

Hospice News

Two unique videos were recently completed to tell people about Hospice. The first is a minority outreach video that features Hospice patients, family members and staff who give individual testimonials. It illustrates the type of care and services a patient receives. The second video follows a fictional family as they utilize the services of Home Care Buffalo, The Life Transitions Center, Supportive Care, Hospice Buffalo and its inpatient unit and Kresge Residence. These videos will be used at workshops, speaking engagements and health fairs to promote Hospice and its services. If you would like to view either of these videos, contact the Hospice Marketing Department at 686-8258.

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.

Wear, Stephen and Phillips, Benjamin, "Clinical Ethics and the Suffering Christian", Christian Bioethics, Vol. 2, No. 2 (1996), pp. 239-252.

Jack, Charles and Wear, Stephen, "GenEthics: Technological Intervention in Human Reproduction as a Philosophical Problem" by Kurt Bayertz, in the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, Vol. 22, No. 2 (1996), pp. 82-87.

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 January 15th.