ethics news & views

Health Care Consortium Conference is a Hit

The 10th Annual Conference of the Health Care Ethics Consortium of Georgia (HCECG), planned as an exceptional educational event and as a joyous celebration, truly accomplished both. With a dual focus on both the history that serves as the foundation of bioethics and a glimpse of what may face us in the future, the conference, A Decade of Ethics Experience: Looking Back, Looking Forward, held March 31 to April 1, offered a discussion of past successes and failures and speculated on future challenges.

Kinlaw Honored with Inaugural Award

In an surprise announcement Kathy Kinlaw--Executive Director for the Health Care Ethics Consortium of Georgia--was honored with presentation of the first Heroes in Healthcare Ethics Award.

Kinlaw is credited with the initially development of the Health Care Ethics Consortium of Georgia in the early 1990’s. Her work with health care organizations across Georgia and their ethics committees has made her a frequently sought-after speaker and presenter. She is also recognized for her work to further bioethics education for medical students, especially those at Emory University School of Medicine.

Kinlaw was presented with a glass sculpture from Fräbel Studio of Atlanta that was commissioned by HCECG and designed is such a way to suggest holding ethics to the highest standard. The curvature of the three supporting glass rods holding the blue sphere represents the achievement of this highest standard.

The Heroes in Health Care Ethics Award is an annual award to be given to an individual or group associated with an HCECG member organization in recognition of exemplary achievements in the field of health care ethics. The award is underwritten by a gift from King and Spalding.

Imlay Foundation Funds HCECG Website

As the Health Care Ethics Consortium of Georgia has grown from a grass root effort to a larger statewide organization, a need for timely communication and education about health care ethics has increased. Although HCECG has enjoyed a simple website for several years, it has provided us with only one-way communication. Advances in internet technology could provide us with so much more.

HCECG is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $26,000 grant from the Imlay Foundation to develop its website and information technology. With this grant its hopes to upgrade its website, introduce a members-only feature, provide for online conference registration and membership renewal, improve data analysis, and provide an online discussion board. Implementation is expected by the end of 2004.