WHYY Hosts Forum About Ethical Dilemmas at the End of Life ... WHYY Also to Provide Webcast of Event ...

WHYY Hosts Forum About Ethical Dilemmas at the End of Life ... WHYY Also to Provide Webcast of Event ...

PHILADELPHIA, March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The ethical dilemmas that can arise at the end of life will be discussed at an all-day forum hosted by WHYY's Wider Horizons and Caring Community coalition on Wednesday, April 20. The forum will be held at WHYY's Technology Center at 150 North Sixth Street in Philadelphia. WHYY will provide a webcast of the entire day's sessions at http://www.widerhorizons.org/.

From 8:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., the WHYY Wider Horizons Forum will provide an opportunity to explore the dilemmas faced by individuals, their families and health care professionals, including decisions concerning those with physical and mental disabilities. The afternoon will feature the Hospice Foundation of America's 12th annual bereavement teleconference, "Ethical Dilemmas at the End of Life," hosted by Cokie Roberts, National Public Radio Senior News Analyst and ABC News Correspondent.

"The medical and ethical issues revolving around end-of-life care are making headlines these days, but it's not news for any family that has had to face these tough decisions," said Willo Carey, executive director of WHYY's Wider Horizons Service. "Our aim with this annual conference is to provide an opportunity for people who work in health care and related fields to discuss their own experiences guiding patients and families."

The morning session will feature a keynote address by Art Caplan, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Medical Ethics, and Director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Caplan will also serve as moderator of the forum's expert panel discussions. John Goodill, M.D., Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Disease, Christiana Care Health System, will present the health professional's perspective and provide an ethical framework for the day's discussion. Terri Maxwell, R.N., M.S.N., Director of Research, excelleRX, Inc., will also facilitate the day's events.

Panelists including Michele Mathes, J.D., attorney and consultant on long term care and ethics; Deb Weigand, a postdoctoral fellow from Yale University; and Joan Menocal, a community member, will discuss the experiences and ethical issues at the end of life. Lowell Arye, M.S.S.A., Executive Director, Alliance for the Betterment of Citizens with Disabilities, and Jeffrey Kauffman, Instructor, Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work, will lead a discussion on the special circumstances that can be faced by individuals with physical and/or mental disabilities at the end of life.

From 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., WHYY will be a host site for the Hospice Foundation of America's 12th annual bereavement teleconference, "Ethical Dilemmas at the End of Life," hosted by Cokie Roberts. This live-via- satellite broadcast will offer constructive advice to those who are facing the difficult circumstances that surround caring for someone who is dying. Roberts will lead a panel of noted authorities including physicians, nurses and experts on medical ethics and hospice care. Participants will discuss how morals, values, ethics and law all affect end-of-life decisions, and will look at how cultural differences may influence ethical choices. The complete program is at http://www.hospicefoundation.org/.

Following the teleconference, John Goodill, M.D., will lead a half-hour audience discussion about the topics presented during the day.

The cost of attendance for the morning session is $25, including lunch. To register, please call 215-351-0511, or visit http://www.widerhorizons.org/. Free continuing education credits for nurses and social workers are available for the morning forum. The afternoon teleconference is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. Professionals can obtain continuing education hours for the teleconference at a cost of $25 with a check made payable to the Hospice Foundation of America.

WHYY's Wider Horizons offers radio and television programming, Internet content and other communications services for everyone living the second half of life.

Caring Community is a volunteer coalition in collaboration with WHYY whose goal is to enhance end-of-life and caregiver outreach through educational programming, support services and multimedia, including radio, television and the Web. Its membership includes more than 100 experts from academia, non- profit organizations, government agencies, faith-based organizations and health care systems in the region.

WHYY is what a diverse community has in common. WHYY, through television, radio, the Web and other communications services, makes our region a better place, connecting each of us to the world's richest ideas and all of us to each other.

Source: WHYY

CONTACT: Art Ellis, +1-215-351-1262, or Daneil Mazone, +1-215-351-3316, both of WHYY

Web site: http://www.hospicefoundation.org/

Web site: http://www.widerhorizons.org/ http://www.whyy.org/

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