Cross-cultural and comparative studies of health and illness
How religious and ethical perspectives influence thinking about medicine and health
Critical thinking about equity, access, and resource distribution of health services and medicine
1.Train a next-generation workforce to address the ethical, social, and cultural implications of emerging [medical/health-related] technologies
2.Embed liberal arts in STEM education and public policy through interdisciplinary teaching and community engagement
3.Reorient conversation from what science can do to what it should do and for whom, by asking how technologies like regenerative medicine may reshape human agency and redefine what it means to be human
4.Partner with industry, healthcare, and civic organizations to build statewide platforms for public dialogue grounded in the lived experiences of patients, caregivers, and future users of these technologies – ReGen Valley Bioethics Working Group
5.Foster open, critical inquiry by creating space for discussion, dissent, and divergent viewpoints
This is the link to Healthy People 2030—the US Department of Health and Human Services long term public health objectives that are established in 10-year increments. Healthy People 2030. Here is a link to the Social Determinants of Health. Social Determinants of Health.
· Given that the government acknowledges there is a strong link between several social determinants of health and meeting their own public health objectives, what role does the government have in ensuring social justice linked to public health goals?
· Pick one aspect of social justice and one goal of Healthy People 2030 and explore the relationship. Provide tangible resources or a tool that healthcare providers at all levels can refer to when assisting patients struggling with a social determinant of health.
End of Life Issues – Autonomy is one of the pillars of medical ethics. Currently 12 US states/jurisdictions have assisted dying laws.
· Is it a violation of our autonomy and civil rights that we do not have consistent laws about this? What should be the role of the caring professions in assisting terminally ill patients to maintain their autonomy?
· What role does human suffering have in these decisions and do we have tools at our disposal to ameliorate human suffering to allow natural death to occur or is the more ethical course to allow patients to access assisted dying?
Maternal Child Health- According to The Commonwealth Fund in recent published report (Maternal Child Mortality States VS. International Comparison) the US has the highest maternal mortality rate of all the developed countries surveyed. Additionally, there are disparities between states. According to the report, a child born in Louisiana is four times more likely to die before the age of 5 than a child born in Massachusetts.
· Engage in root cause analysis to determine what factors are contributing to the astonishing maternal mortality or the great health disparities between the states.
· Create resources for maternal child healthcare providers to assist patients with accessing services in a more timely manner, or persistent educational tools that can be used to help families understand the importance of early care and intervention.