Overview Ethics Noon Conference

Since 1997, the Center for Healthcare Ethics has proudly presented the Ethics Noon Conference, a monthly event open to all who work within, are affiliated with, or receive care at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The primary aim of these Conferences is to raise the level of awareness and degree of understanding of fundamental as well as emerging issues and concerns in healthcare ethics. Covering a broad range of ethical considerations associated with healthcare practices, healthcare delivery, and the healthcare system, these Conferences always include time for audience participation and interaction.

Ethics Noon Conferences are held in the Harvey Morse Auditorium, typically on the third Wednesday of the month (please see below for schedule). A light lunch is available on the day of the Conference starting at 11:30 AM. The session begins promptly at 12:00 PM and ends at 1:00PM.

Past speakers include Mark Aulisio, Alexander Capron, Eric Cassel, Felicia Cohn, Elliott Doroff, Nancy Dubler, Ezekiel Emanuel, Jodi Halpern, Al Jonsen, John Lantos, Mary Faith Marshall, Sherwin Nuland, David Orentlicher, Lanie Friedman Ross, John Sadler, Lawrence Schneiderman, Audrey Shafer, Mark Siegler, Carol Taylor, Susan Tolle, Robert Troug, Harriet Washington, Paul Wolpe, Richard Zaner, and Lorie Zoloth (to name but a few).

Schedule for 2013

  • January 16, 2013: Jay Baruch, MD, Brown University - "First Drafts and Open Spaces:  Why Healthcare Providers Should Think Like Creative Writers"
  • February 20, 2013: Michael Bliss, PhD, University of Toronto - "No Ethics? Bioethics in the Age of William Osler"
  • March 20, 2013: Rev. George Handzo, M.Div - "Medicine and Spiritual Care: A Shared Commitment to Listening on the Way to Healing"
  • April 24, 2013: Rabbi Aaron E. Glatt, MD - "The Jewish Medical Ethics Perspective on End-of-Life Issues:  Whose Life is it Anyway?"
  • May 15, 2013: Mark D. Fox, MD, PhD, MPH, University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine - "Back to the Future: Moral Dilemmas in Transplantation"
  • June 19, 2013: David B. Morris, Ph.D. - "Black Swans, Zebras, and the Strangeness of the Everyday: Low-Probability Events in Biomedicine"

Schedule for 2012

  • January 18, 2012: Joseph J. Fins, MD - "From the Vegetative to Minimally Conscious State: Neuro-Ethics and the Severely Injured Brain"
  • February 15, 2012: Tess Jones, PhD - "Another Kind of DNR (Do Not Record): Documentary Films, Patient Rights, and Social Responsibility"
  • March 21, 2012: Perri Klass, MD - "Hearing Secrets and Telling Stories: Doctors as Readers and Writers"
  • April Lecture - CANCELLED
  • May 16, 2012: Armand H. Matheny Antommaria, MD, PhD - "Mandate or Moratorium?: Persisting Ethical Controversies in Donation After Circulatory Death"
  • June 13, 2012: Alan M. Kraut, PhD - "Ethical Roots of the Jewish Hospital: Past and Future"
  • September 19, 2012: Katie L. Watson, JD - "Gallows Humor: medical Ethics, Medical Humanities and the Dark Side of Laughter"
  • October 17, 2012: Michael C. Lill, MD - "Transplanting Jehovah's Witnesses:  Ethical Challenges in Caring for Individuals, Serving Communities, Being Responsible to Society"
  • November 14, 2012: Robert Cook-Deegan, MD - "Genomes Beyond Hype: Where is Genomics Taking Us (and can we get there without screwing it up)?"
  • December 19, 2012: Jeffrey Kahn, PhD, MPH - Title of Talk: TBA (healthcare policy in light of 2012 Presidential election)

Schedule for 2011

  • January 19, 2011: Steven H. Miles, MD - "The Drug Industry, Clinicians and Responsibility: 2010 Update"
  • February 23, 2011: Daniel P. Sulmasy, OFM, MD, Ph.D - "Is Osler Still Right? Medicine as a Vocation Today"
  • March 16, 2011: Henry T. Greely, JD - "Clinical & Regulatory Challenges in Whole Genome Sequencing"
  • April 13, 2011: Theresa S. Drought, Ph.D, RN - "Owning Your Place at the Table: Ethical Obligations, Role Responsibilities, and the Interprofessional Team"
  • May 18, 2011: Denise M. Dudzinski, Ph.D, MTS - "Whole Decision: Autonomy & Paternalism in an Irrational World"
  • June 15, 2011: Peter A. Ubel, MD - "Whose Decision: Autonomy and Paternalism in an Irrational World"
  • September 21, 2011: Jodi Halpern, MD - "Challenges of Clinical Empathy: Clinicians' Emotions and Healthcare Decision Making"
  • October 19, 2011:  Carole Browner, PhD - "The Promise and Reality of Genetic Testing in Clinical Neurology:  The Interplay of Hope and Expectation"
  • November 9, 2011: Prof. Bartha Maria Knoppers - "The Return of Results to Participants: A Minefield?"
  • December 21, 2011: Arthur R. Derse, MD, JD - "Ethical and Legal Issues in End-of-Life Care"

Schedule for 2010

  • January 20, 2010 : Rafael Campo, M.D.,  - "The Poetry of Healing"
  • February 3, 2010: Lester D. Friedman, Ph.D., - "Medicine on Film: Constructing Images of Healthcare Providers"
  • March 10, 2010:   D. Alan Shewmon, M.D.,  - "Controversies Surrounding 'Brain Death'"
  • April 7, 2010: Wilfred Graves, Jr., M.Div, Ph.D.  - "The African-American Experience of Illness"
  • May 19, 2010: Harvey J. Makadon, M.D.  - "The Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Patient: A New Set of Ethical Challenges"
  •  June 16, 2010:  Edmund G.Howe, M.D., J.D.  -  "Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia, and Ethical Challenges when Caring for Those Who are Fading"
  • September 15, 2010:  Robert Truog, M.D.  -  "Medical Futility: When is Enough, Enough?" 
  • October 20, 2010:  Mark J. Bliton, Ph.D.  - "Divination & DNA: The Hazard, but Inevitability of 'Divination' in Our New Generation"
  • November 17, 2010:  Katherine Brown-Saltzman, R.N., M.A.,  - "Ethics Consultation: Harm or Helpful?"
  • December 15, 2010: Stuart G. Finder, Ph.D.   - "Policy, Practice, Perspective: End of Life Care at CSMC"
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