Bioethicists' Objection to Congressional Interference in Schiavo Case

Whereas, the courts of Florida and the Federal courts have upheld through extensive litigation and review the right of a husband (Mr. Schiavo) to make medical decisions for his wife who is in a persistent vegetative state, we undersigned participants from the bioethics community wish to express our strong objection to the manner in which the United States Congress is interfering with that right.

James J. Hughes Ph.D.
Executive Director, Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies
Lecturer, Public Policy Studies, Trinity College
300 Summit St., Hartford CT 06106

Lawrence J. Schneiderman, M.D.
Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine
UCSD School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093

R. Alta Charo
Elisabeth S. Wilson Professor of Law and Bioethics
University of Wisconsin Law and Medical Schools
Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development
University of Wisconsin Law School
5211C Law Building
975 Bascom Mall
Madison, WI 53706

Gavin W. Hougham, Ph.D.
Director of Research
The University of Chicago
Department of Medicine/Section of Geriatrics
5841 S. Maryland Ave., AMB W-722 (MC 6098) Chicago, IL 60637-1463

Michael A. Grodin, M.D.
Professor of Health Law, Bioethics, and Human Rights
Boston University School of Public Health
Professor of Socio-Medical Sciences, Community Medicine, and Psychiatry
Boston University School of Medicine
715 Albany Street, Talbot 3W
Boston, MA 02118

Arthur Caplan
Emanuel & Robert Hart Professor of Bioethics
Chair, Department of Medical Ethics
Director
Center for Bioethics
University of Pennsylvania
3401 Market St. Suite 320
Phila PA 19104-3308

Jonathan D. Moreno, Ph.D.
Kornfeld Professor and Director
Center for Biomedical Ethics
University of Virginia

Howard Brody, M.D., Ph.D.
University Distinguished Professor
Dept. of Family Practice
Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences
Michigan State University

Peter C. Williams, JD, PhD
Vice Dean for Academic Affairs & Faculty Development
Professor of Preventive Medicine
School of Medicine Stony Brook, NY 11794
(631)689-0357

Mark G. Kuczewski, PhD
The Fr. Michael I. English, SJ, Professor of Medical Ethics
Director, Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics & Health Policy
Stritch School of Medicine
Loyola University Chicago
2160 S. First Avenue Bldg 120, Room 280 Maywood, IL 60153

FJ Gianola PA
Faculty
Division of Physician Assistant Studies
MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Program and Center for Interprofessional Education and Research School of Medicine, University of Washington

Lance K Stell, PhD, FACFE
Charles A. Dana Professor of Philosophy
Director, Medical Humanities Program
Davidson College
PO Box 7135
Davidson, NC 28036
Department of Internal Medicine
Vice-Chair, Ethics Committee
Director, Ethics Consult Service
Carolinas Medical Center
PO Box 32861
Charlotte, NC 28232

Mark Sheldon
Department of Philosophy
Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
Medical Humanities and Bioethics Program
Feinberg School of Medicine
Northwestern University Evanston, IL 60208

Arthur R. Derse, M.D., J.D.
Director of Medical and Legal Affairs
Associate Director Center for the Study of Bioethics
Clinical Professor of Bioethics and Emergency Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin

Dena J. Seiden,.
Adjunct Professor,
New York University

Robert T. Hall, Ph.D.
Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine
West Virginia University

Jack P. Freer MD
Professor of Clinical Medicine, University at Buffalo
Associate Director, Center for Clinical Ethics and Humanities in Health Care
3 Gates Circle, Buffalo, NY 14209

Gladys B. White, Ph.D., R..N.
Adjunct Professor of Liberal Studies
Georgetown University
Washington, D.C. 20057

Dominic Sisti
Center for Bioethics
University of Pennsylvania

Craig M. Klugman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Bioethics
University of Nevada Reno
School of Public Health
Chair, Program in Health Care Ethics
Nevada Center for Ethics and Health Policy
Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Medicine
MS 274 Reno, Nevada 89557-0036

Susan B. Rubin, Ph.D.,
The Ethics Practice,
Oakland, California

Hilde Lindemann, Ph.D.
Philosophy Department
503 South Kedzie Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824

Deborah S. Cummins, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor, Medical Humanities
University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago, IL

Deborah L. Kasman, MD, MA
Georgetown University, Dept of Internal Medicine

Bill Allen, M. Div. J.D.
Director, Program in Bioethics, Law, and Medical Professionalism
University of Florida College of Medicine

Glenn McGee
Editor, The American Journal of Bioethics
John A. Balint Professor of Medical Ethics
Director of the Center for Medical Ethics Research
Albany Medical Center
47 New Scotland Avenue MC.153
Albany NY 12208

Gregg VandeKieft, MD, MA
Faculty, Providence St. Peter Family Medicine Residency Program
Medical Director, Providence Sound Home Care and Hospice Ethics Committee Co-chair, Providence St. Peter Hospital
525 Lilly Road NE
Olympia, WA 98506

Sally Nunn, RN
Director, Clinical Outreach & Faculty Associate
University of Pennsylvania
Center for Bioethics
Director, Ethics Network of the Delaware Valley Region

Roberta Springer Loewy, Ph.D.
Associate Clinical Professor, Health Care Ethics
University of California, Davis
UCDMC -- PSSB 2400 4150 V Street Sacramento, CA 95817

Dr Erich H. Loewy
Professor of Medicine (emeritus)
Founding Alumni Association
Chair of Bioethics
Associate of Philosophy
University of California, Davis
11465 Ghirardelli Court
Gold River, CA 95670

Barrie Trimingham, MBE
(University of Pennsylvania/ Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)

judith wilson ross, m.a.
ucla and st. joseph health system, orange, ca, retired

Anita J. Tarzian, PhD, RN
Ethics & Research Consultant
3405 Greenway #305
Baltimore, MD 21218

Jeff Burack, MD, MPP, BPhil
University of California, Berkeley
Health and Medical Sciences, MC #1190
570 University Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-1190

Ken Kipnis, Honolulu
Philosophy, Univ. of Hawaii
Honolulu, HI 96822

Sarah E. Shannon, PhD, RN
Associate Professor
Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems
University of Washington, Box 357266
Seattle, WA 98195-7266

Janet M. Lis, Esq.
P.O. Box 2102
Media, PA 19063

Greg Loeben
Associate Professor
Bioethics Program Coordinator
Midwestern University
Glendale, AZ

Miriam E. Cameron, PhD, MS, MA, RN
Author and Bioethicist
Faculty, Center for Spirituality and Healing Center
Associate, Center for Bioethics
MMC 505, C592 MMB 420 Delaware Street SE
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Marnie Ritchie Poncy, R.N.,
Attorney at Law
Supervising Attorney for the Bioethics Law Project of
The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc.

David Gary Smith, MD, FACP
Chairman Bioethics Committee
Abington Memorial Hospital
1200 Old York Road
Abington PA 19001

Constance Perry, Ph.D.
Associate Professor , Health and Society Programs
College of Nursing and Health Professions,
Drexel University Mail Stop 503
1505 Race St., 12th floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102-1192

Hilary Bok
Dept. of Philosophy, Phoebe R. Berman Bioethics Institute
Johns Hopkins University

Bruce J. Winick
Professor of Law
University of Miami School of Law
1311 Miller Drive - Room G476
Coral Gables, FL 33146

Rosalie A. Kane
Division for Health Services Research & Policy
School of Public Health
University of Minnesota
D-527 Mayo Building,
420 Delaware St, S.E., Box 197 Mayo
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Erin A. Egan, M.D., J.D.
Assistant Professor,
Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy,
Department of Internal Medicine,
Loyola University Medical Center

Steve Heilig
Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics
San Francisco Medical Society

Daniel O. Dugan, Ph.D., Ethics Consultant
Swedish Covenant Hospital, Chicago IL
Emanuel Medical Center, Turlock, CA

Allyson L. Robichaud
Assistant Professor
Co-Director, Bioethics Program
Department of Philosophy
Cleveland State University
2121 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland OH 44115

Kenneth P. Patrick, M.D.
Chair, Ethics committee
Chestnut Hill Hospital
Philadelphia, PA 19118

Neil Wenger, MD, MPH
Professor, UCLA Dept of Medicine
Chair, Ethics Committee, UCLA Medical Center

Jeanne Schwartz
Director Social Services
Claremont Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
Carlisle , Pennsylvania 17013

James A. Mittelberger MD MPH FACP
Chief Division of Geriatrics
Alameda County Medical Center
(for identification purposes only)
Chair, Ethics Committee

Martha Swartz
1845 Walnut St., Suite 1500
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Jeffrey T. Berger MD
Director of Clinical Ethics
Winthrop University Hospital
Mineola NY
Associate Professor of Medicine
SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine

Allan P. Freedman
Chairman, Jeanes Hospital Ethics Committee Philadelphia