Health Care Ethics Institute Founded At City of Hope

LOS ANGELES--In response to the questions being raised by newmedical technologies and managed health care, City of Hope hasestablished its Institute for Applied Health Care Ethics on its100-acre Duarte, Calif, campus.

Coretta Scott King, widow of civil rights leader Dr. Martin LutherKing, Jr., spoke at the Institute's dedication ceremony. Mrs.King is president and CEO of The King Center for Nonviolent SocialChange in Atlanta.

"The Institute for Applied Health Care Ethics brings togetherscientists, ethics scholars, policy and legislative specialists,students, and clinicians to encourage discussion and debate onissues in clinical and health care ethics," said City ofHope President and CEO Sanford Shapero.

The Institute's first event was The Genome Imperative conferencefocusing on the ethical considerations surrounding genetic testingand therapy.

Dr. Shapero said that the formation of the Institute was a naturalevolution for City of Hope. "By virtue of our recognizedleadership in cancer research and bone marrow transplantation,we believe that the City of Hope is uniquely qualified to carrygene therapy forward into the 21st century," he said.

"But along with that commitment to solid research and medicinecomes the responsibility to be held accountable for the humanvalue elements of our industry. We have chosen to assume the leadin that position as well."

Dr. Norman T. Mendel, Rabbi, has been named the Institute's firstdirector. He previously has served as the chairman of City ofHope's Pastoral Care Services and continues in that capacity.