NEW YORK — Daniel Sulmasy, OFM, a widely known medical ethicist, spoke recently at several venues, including a Fox-TV morning news show.
On Feb. 12, Daniel, who is the Sisters of Charity chair in Ethics at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Manhattan, and professor of medicine and director of the Bioethics Institute, New York Medical College, was part of a panel discussing “designer babies” on the Morning Show with Mike and Juliet on Fox-TV. Clips can be viewed on the show’s Web site.
In addition, from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, Dan participated in the following programs in Western New York.
Through a three-day symposium at St. Bonaventure University, Dan offered key presentations on “Ethical Issues in Care at the End of Life,” and “The Brave New World of Cloning and Stem Cells.” He also spoke at the Province’s Mt. Irenaeus Franciscan Mountain Retreat about “The Wine of Fervent Zeal and the Oil of Compassion.”
“The audiences and topics were quite diverse,” he said. The SBU event was a public lecture on care at the end of life, covered by local press. “It was well-attended and followed by a long question-and-answer period.”
He also lectured in a faculty forum on stem cells and cloning. “The discussion with one or two of the faculty was quite spirited,” he added. “On Friday night and Saturday, the venue and the focus shifted to Mt. Irenaeus for a mini-retreat for pre-professional students on spirituality and healthcare. Asking students to reflect on an experience they have not yet had, but hope to have, was a challenge, but they were keenly interested and I hope I was able to plant some seeds that will bear fruit in their future professional lives.”
Daniel Riley, OFM, president of Mt. Irenaeus, was pleased with the event. “We are considering more times such as this one when we might, with the help of such a fine teacher as Dan, develop and reflect upon key themes which would invite us to integrate our personal and professional lives in keeping with our Franciscan heritage and call,” he said.
St. Bonaventure offers a number of opportunities for students interested in healthcare professions including (1) dual-degree programs in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and physical therapy, (2) a new bachelor’s degree in gerontology, and (3) traditional pre-medicine and pre-health advisement.
Collaboration among various individuals and offices on campus helped shape and support the SBU symposium. F. Edward Coughlin, OFM, vice president for Franciscan Mission, was among those involved.