Medical ethics programs set

GREENVILLE, Pa. -- UPMC Horizon, Thiel College and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church are teaming up once again to sponsor the Community Medical Ethics Project.
This fall's event will be Oct. 27 in the Howard Miller Student Center's Lutheran Heritage Room on the Thiel College campus. There will be two identical programs, the first from 1 to 3 p.m., the second from 7 to 9 p.m.
The topic of the program, "Schiavo: Much Ado About ... Something," will address the case of Terri Schiavo, a Florida woman kept alive by a feeding tube for 15 years after a heart attack that left her brain-damaged. Her situation drew both national and international attention.
Central to Schiavo's legacy is whether having a living will or appointing a health-care agent could prevent a patient or family from becoming the centerpiece of a similar drama.
Speakers
The keynote speaker will be Rhonda Gay Hartman, J.D., Ph.D., professor at Duquesne University in the School of Law and Health Care Ethics Program and a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where she is affiliated with the Center for Bioethics and Health Law.
During the question-and-comment portion of the program, Hartman will be joined by the Rev. Martin M. Roth, pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Greenville. The Rev. Mr. Roth also is the convener of the Community Medical Ethics Project steering committee.
The mission of the ethics project is to help people in the community better understand medical ethics issues so they can make better decisions on life-and-death issues involving their health care.
To register for either the afternoon or evening programs, call (724) 589-6640.