Lecture series talk to address end of life issues
Oct. 29 event features "The Heart of Medicine: Improving Care for Patients at the End of Life"
October 22, 2015
A national leader in health quality will make the inaugural presentation of the Tobis Endowed Lecture Series on Oct. 29 at the Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences & Engineering on the UC Irvine campus. The event is open to the public and will feature a talk entitled “The Heart of Medicine: Improving Care for Patients at the End of Life” with Christine K. Cassel, MD, president and CEO of the National Quality Forum.
Dr. Cassel will discuss the context and history of providing care at the end of life as a scientific and medical discipline, including the dynamic among patients, their families, and physicians. She will examine the current environment, particularly the growing need for quality measures that patients can use to ensure they’re receiving the best care available.
“Existing models of care, including advanced illness management programs, palliative care, and hospice services, must be more widely adopted to change the way people living with advanced illness are treated,” said Dr. Cassel.
The Tobis Endowed Lecture Series is presented by the UC Irvine Medical Ethics Program and the UC Irvine Medical Humanities Initiative and is intended to address contemporary issues in medical ethics, for the UC Irvine community as well as the general public. The series was started in memory of Jerry Tobis, MD, a beloved physician, colleague, father and friend, said Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, director of the Medical Ethics Program and a co-director of the Medical Humanities Initiative.
“Dr. Tobis was passionate about medical ethics and worked tirelessly to ensure that all patients have access to the best possible medical care,” Kheriaty said. “We are pleased to host Dr. Cassel as part of our effort to expose the community to these very important medical and ethical issues.”
Dr. Cassel was the first female chair at the American Board of Internal Medicine, first female president of the American College of Physicians, and the first female dean of Oregon Health and Science University. She is also one of 20 scientists chosen by President Barack Obama to serve on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and is co-chair and physician leader of a PCAST report to the president on future directions of health information technology.
The National Quality Forum is also involved in raising awareness about end of life decisions and recently launched an initiative to improve care for patients with advanced illness.
The event will include a reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. followed by Dr. Cassel’s presentation at 6:30 p.m. and an audience Q&A session at 7:30 p.m.
RSVPs are requested at www.medicalhumanities.uci.edu/cassel" ›
Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences & Engineering is at 100 Academy, Irvine, CA 92617. View our map and directions ›
The Medical Humanities Initiative is an unprecedented collaboration among faculty from the schools of arts, humanities, and medicine and is dedicated to expanding the understanding of the human dimensions of health, healing and well-being.
The Medical Ethics Program is dedicated to improving excellence and quality in patient care through integrated clinical, research, teaching, and community outreach initiatives. It aims to ensure that modern medicine works to foster human flourishing and promote the common good.
About the University of California, Irvine: Currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, UC Irvine is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, The university has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $4.8 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.
