PCCB Faculty Address COVID-19 Crisis

Posted in Announcement General Page News Story  |  Tagged Catholic Social Teaching, Coronavirus, COVID-19

Page updated regularly. See also: PCCB COVID-19 Resources

Ongoing and Recent Activities:

G. Kevin Donovan MD, MA, Director of the Pellegrino Center, is working closely in consultation with hospital administration and staff to establish plans for the care of COVID-19 patients according to the ethical principles governing Medstar Georgetown University Hospital.

• “Is It Ethical to Unilaterally Withdraw Life-Sustaining Treatment in Triage Circumstances?” in Health Progress, May 15, 2020. With Jason T. Eberl, PhD.
• “Moral Distress on Caregivers and Patients Dying Alone” — Georgetown University/PCCB/Catholic Health Association webinar series, May 7, 2020. Moderator. With Claudia Sotomayor, MD, D.Be and Sarah Vittone, DBe, RN.
• “Review of Some Basics in Catholic Health Care Ethics and Application to the Question of Automatic DNR Orders for COVID-19 Patients” and “Nonconsensual Reallocation of Ventilators” — Georgetown University/PCCB/Catholic Health Association webinar series, April 16, 2020. With Myles Sheehan, SJ, MD and Allen Roberts II, MD, MA.
• “Bioethics in the Time of Coronavirus” — MGUH POCUS Webinar April 2, 2020. With Dan Sulmasy, MD, PhD and Allen Roberts II, MD, MA.
• PCCB White Paper, “The ERDs and the Maryland Framework for the Allocation of Scarce Life-Sustaining Medical Resources in the COVID-19 Pandemic,” March 26, 2020

Jim Giordano, PhD, MPhil:  

• Quoted in “The Three Weeks That Changed Everything” by James Fallows in The Atlantic, June 29, 2020.
• “Surveillance tools offer great promise, perils amid pandemic, ethicist says” by Lisa Eisenhauer for Catholic Health World, May 18, 2020.

• “Apply Advanced Technology to Fight Pandemics” in National Defense, May 15, 2020. With Diane DiEuliis, Peter Emanuel, and Alexander Titus.
• “Pandemic Public Surveillance – Issues of Prevention, Protection, and Privacy.” Georgetown University/PCCB/Catholic Health Association webinar series, May 14, 2020. Moderated by Nathaniel Blanton Hibner PhD.
• Quoted in “10 COVID Symptoms That Don’t Go Away” by Emilia Paluszek for “Eat This, Not That,” May 1, 2020.
• “COVID-19 and the Future of Bio-Security” — Blog post and Podcast for TRADOC–Mad Scientist / National Security Innovation Network (NSIN), April 30, 2020.
• “The Dilemma Between the Well-Being of Individuals and the Right of Many” — Lecture for Coburg University of Applied Science, GER) discussing comparisons of US and European responses to COVID-19, April 29, 2020.
• “Navigating the Covid Crisis: A Call to Virtue, and Hope for Prudence” — PCCB Blog, April 28, 2020.
• Quoted in “Coronavirus and The Privacy Crisis: A Grave New World,” by Osama Tahir in VPNRanks.com, April 28, 2020.
• Beyond 1918: Bringing Pandemic Response into the Present, and Future for Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University, with Diane DiEuliis, Peter Emanuel, and Alexander Titus . April 27, 2020.

• Bi-weekly update on new developments in understanding and mitigating COVID-19: New Developments and Health Promotion for Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Coburg, GER, April 23, 2020.
• Defense Health Agency Webinar: Bioethical and Legal Considerations During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Health Care Providers, April 23, 2020.
• Quoted in “Unique Ethical Concerns for Study Participants in Neuroscience Research“ in Medical Ethics Advisor, April 2020.
• Neurodata and Defence: Part II – Beyond NINA -The Need for Integrative Digital Biosecurity — — the second of a two-part series appearing in DefenceIQ; with Dr. Diane DiEuliis of the National Defense University and Joseph DeFranco of George Mason University. April 16, 2020.
• “Neurodata and Defence: Part I – Realities and Risks” — the first of a two-part series appearing in DefenceIQ; with Joseph DeFranco, of George Mason University, and Scholar of the Defense Operational Cognitive Sciences Group, Joint Staff, Pentagon. April 14, 2020.
• “Contagion: COVID-19’s impact on the Operational Environment (Part 3)” — blog post co-authored with Vikram Venkatram on the proactive and preventive measures taken by Singapore, South Korea, and Germany. April 13, 2020.
• “COVID-19 Crisis: Facts, Forecasts, and Health Promotion” — video lecture moderated by Prof. Dr Nikola Kohls, Director of Coburg University of Applied Sciences (CUAS), Coburg GER, Program in Integrative Heath Promotions. April 9, 2020
• Quoted in Neurology Today, “COVID-19: Prepare for Care-Rationing—Know Your Hospital Policies,” April 8, 2020.
• “COVID-19 Operational Environment Impacts,” SMA Speaker Series for NSI, Inc., April 1, 2020
•  “How to Reopen America” — Op-ed with Daniel M. Gerstein, March 27, 2020
•  “Combating Global Coronavirus: From Isolation to International Cooperation,” March 26, 2020 

David Miller, PhD:

• “Should Health Care Personnel Get Preferential Treatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic?” (at 30:23) — Georgetown University/PCCB/Catholic Health Association webinar series, April 23, 2020. With Claudia Sotomayor, MD, DBe.

Allen Roberts, II, MD, MA:

• Chair, Ethics Committee at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
• Organizational Ethics: Response to Crisis Standards and Allocation of Resources — Georgetown University/PCCB/ Catholic Health Association webinar series, April 30, 2020. With Sarah Vittone, RN, DBe.
• “Healing Medicine: On the Wisdom of the Good Doctor Edmund Pellegrino.” in Touchstone Magazine, April 2020.
• “Nonconsensual Reallocation of Ventilators” — Georgetown University/PCCB/ Catholic Health Association webinar series, April 16, 2020. With Kevin Donovan, MD, MA.
• Bioethics in the Time of Coronavirus.” MGUH POCUS Webinar April 2, 2020 — with Kevin Donovan, MD, MA and Dan Sulmasy, MD, PhD.

Myles Sheehan, SJ, MD:

• Quoted in “A Mother’s Gift” in Georgetown Medicine Magazine, Spring/Summer 2020.
• “A Spiritual Retirement Plan” in Georgetown Medicine Magazine, Spring/Summer 2020.
• “Review of Some Basics in Catholic Health Care Ethics and Application to the Question of Automatic DNR Orders for COVID-19 Patients” — Georgetown University/PCCB/ Catholic Health Association webinar series, April 16, 2020. With Kevin Donovan, MD, MA

• “The Importance of Cura Personalis in Hard Times” –in Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education, April 2, 2020

• “Catholic Social Thought and the Coronavirus Crisis” — forum at the Georgetown Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, March 26, 2020

• “Healing Coronavirus” (begins at 11:40) — Interview on Encounter Catholic TV, March 25, 2020.

Claudia Sotomayor, MD, DBe

• “Pandemic Means the Whole World” — Webinar hosted by the Kennedy Institute of Ethics, May 14, 2020. With Daniel Sulmasy, Mark Dybul, Lawrence Gostin, David Hollenbach, Pascal Noudjom Tchana.
• “Moral Distress on Caregivers and Patients Dying Alone” — Georgetown University/PCCB/Catholic Health Association webinar series, May 7, 2020. With Sarah Vittone, RN, D.Be. moderated by G. Kevin Donovan, MD, MA
• “Should Health Care Personnel Get Preferential Treatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic?” (at 30:23) — Georgetown University/PCCB/Catholic Health Association webinar series, April 23, 2020. With David Miller, PhD.
• Featured in “Data Tell the Story of Ethics’ Increasing Workload“ in Medical Ethics Advisor, April 2020.

Siva Subramanian, MD:

• “Ethical Issues in Labor and Delivery, and Neonates” — Georgetown University/PCCB/ Catholic Health Association webinar series, April 30, 2020.

Daniel Sulmasy, MD, PhD, MACP:

• Interview in “What will the Post-Covid New Normal Look Like in the US?” by Lesia Bakalets, Voice of America, May 17, 2020.
• “Pandemic Means the Whole World” — Webinar hosted by the Kennedy Institute of Ethics, May 14, 2020. Host/moderator. With Mark Dybul, Lawrence Gostin, David Hollenbach, Claudia Sotomayor, and Pascal Noudjom Tchana.
• “Rationing Criteria for Ventilator Eligibility” — Georgetown University/PCCB/Catholic Health Association webinar series, April 23, 2020.
• Quoted in “Ethics Consults Center on Conflicts Surrounding ECMO Withdrawal: ‘Dilemma Is When to Stop’” in Medical Ethics Advisor, April 2020.
• “The Virus and the Common Good” in The Tablet, April 18, 2020
• “Should Institutions Disclose the Names of Employees with Covid-19?” Case study commentary for the Hastings Center Report, May 2020
• “Coronavirus patients face challenges in trying experimental treatments.” NBC News, April 9, 2020
• “Bioethics in the Time of Coronavirus.” Webinar sponsored by the Catholic Health Association (new window) and the Supportive Care Coalition (new window), April 9, 2020
• “The COVID-19 Crisis and Challenges to the Common Good.” Webinar sponsored by Georgetown University Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, April 8, 2020
• “Ventilator Ethics: National Supply Is Days Away From Peak Use.” Interview with Courthouse News Service, April 8, 2020
• “Bioethics in the Time of Coronavirus.” MGUH POCUS Webinar April 2, 2020 — with Allen Roberts and Kevin Donovan
• “Respirators, our rights, right and wrong: Medical ethics in an age of coronavirus,” Op-ed in Daily News, March 22, 2020
• “Ask a Coronavirus Ethicist” — ongoing column in Washingtonian Magazine

Sarah Vittone, RN, D.Be.:

• Member of The COVID-19 and Essential Workers Safety and Protection work group (a cross-section of fields at Georgetown including medicine, policy, law and ethics with representation from worker groups including unions.-meeting weekly
• Meeting weekly with ANA Nursing Ethics -Pandemic Issues-meeting weekly
• “Covid-19 Ethical Concerns and Considerations: Scarce Resource Allocation” — Panelist in webinar for George Washington Milken Institute School of Public Health Bioethics Interest Group and Office of Research Excellence, May 12, 2020. With Govind Persad, JD, Ph.D; moderated by Adnan Hyder, MD, MPH, PhD.
• “Moral Distress on Caregivers and Patients Dying Alone“– Georgetown University/PCCB/Catholic Health Association webinar series, May 7, 2020. With Claudia Sotomayor, MD, D.Be., moderated by G. Kevin Donovan, MD, MA.
• “Organizational Ethics: Response to Crisis Standards and Allocation of Resources” — Georgetown University/PCCB/ Catholic Health Association webinar series, April 30, 2020. With Allen Roberts, MD, MA.
• “Ethical Considerations in Accelerated Clinical Trials,” at The DC Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Consortium Conference, April 21, 2020.
• Welcome to newly admitted BSN students, Georgetown University, April 13, 2020.
• “COVID-19 Pandemic 2020- Ethical Considerations in Acute Care and Public Health” March 16 and 18