Wednesday, October 28, 2026
9:00 am – Noon Navigating Difficult Dilemmas with Terminal Patients
Rebekah Apple, MA, DHSc
Director of the Master of Medical Management Program
Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy
Carnegie Mellon University
Abstract: Advance directives can provide valuable insight regarding a patient's wishes for end of life care, but they cannot address every possible scenario. Loved ones can also make them difficult to implement. This session will explore those grueling cases where "options" may abound, but consensus is hard to achieve. We'll talk about withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment, voluntary stopping of eating and drinking, the complexities introduced by loved ones, and how all of the aforementioned create emotional pain for clinical staff.
12:30 – 1:30 pm Dignity, Autonomy, and the Ethics of Dying
Michael Deem, PhD
Associate Professor, Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic Affairs
Interim Program Director, Multidisciplinary Master of Public Health
Director of Ethics Education, Institute for Bioethics
University of Pittsburgh
Abstract: Much of the ethical debate surrounding physician-assisted suicide (often referred to as “medical aid in dying”) centers on what it means to die with dignity and to what degree patients’ autonomy should be respected when they wish to end their own lives. This presentation will consider and critically assess the main ethical arguments in favor of and against the moral permissibility of physician-assisted suicide. It will then consider broader questions regarding the potential impact of legalization of assisted suicide on health care practice, public trust of health care professionals, and vulnerable patient populations.
1:30 – 3:00 pm When Ethics Meets the Law: Legal and Risk Management
Considerations in Difficult Clinical Decisions
Chaton Turner, Esq.
Vice President Civil Rights, Regulatory Affairs, Disability Resources,
& External Relations
UPMC
Abstract: Difficult clinical decisions rarely involve ethical considerations alone. Once the ethical issues have been identified, healthcare teams must also consider legal requirements, potential liability, organizational risk, and the practical implications of their decisions. This session will examine how legal and risk-management perspectives intersect with ethics consultation in challenging clinical situations. Using practical examples, participants will explore how these perspectives can help healthcare professionals and ethics committees navigate uncertainty, communicate effectively, and make well-informed decisions.