Penn Medical Ethics and Health Policy

1104 Blockley Hall

Health Policy Research Seminar: Ateev Mehrotra, MD, MPH, Chair of the Department of Health Services,Professor, Brown University

Learn More 2025-04-24 12:00:00 2025-04-24 13:00:00 America/New_York Health Policy Research Seminar: Ateev Mehrotra, MD, MPH, Chair of the Department of Health Services,Professor, Brown University “The Rise (and Fall) of Telemedicine: Where do we go from here?” In this talk, Dr. Mehrotra will describe the evolving landscape of telehealth in the US since the start of the pandemic and empirical research on its impact on costs, quality, and access. Dr. Mehrotra is the Walter H. Annenberg Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice at the Brown School of Public Health. Dr. Mehrotra’s research focuses on delivery innovations and their impact on access, quality, and spending. These include innovations such as telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, retail clinics, and e-visits. Ateev Mehrotra, MD, MPH, is the chair of the Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice at the Brown University School of Public Health. Dr. Mehrotra received his BS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his MD from the University of California, San Francisco, and his residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Boston. His clinical work has been both as a primary care physician and as an adult and pediatric hospitalist. He also has received formal research training with a Master of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Science in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. Much of Dr. Mehrotra's research is focused on delivery innovations such as retail clinics, e-visits, and telemedicine, including their impact on quality, costs, and access to health care. He is also interested in the role of consumerism and whether price transparency and public reporting of quality can impact patient decision making. Related work has focused on the impact of new payment models and quality measurement, including how natural language processing can be used to analyze the data in electronic health records. 1104 Blockley Hall Penn Medical Ethics

April

29

BRB 251

MEHP Joint Lecture with Leslie Francis, PhD, JD

Learn More 2025-04-29 12:00:00 2025-04-29 13:00:00 America/New_York MEHP Joint Lecture with Leslie Francis, PhD, JD We are thrilled to announce the second annual MEHP Joint Lecture featuring Leslie Francis, PhD, JD from the University of Utah on Tuesday, April 29 at 12 pm with sponsorship from the Center for Technology, Innovation, and Competition. Talk title: “Why Federalism Matters for Health Care” Location: BRB 251; lunch will be provided. The talk is hybrid and will not be recorded. Registration is required. Click here to register. Leslie Francis is Alfred C. Emery distinguished professor of law and distinguished professor of philosophy at the University of Utah. She was founding director of University of Utah Center for Law and Biomedical Sciences from 2015-2022. Professor Francis was President of the Pacific Division of the American Philosophical Association in 2015-2016. From2015-2019 she served as the elected Secretary-General of the International Society for Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy. She is a past member of the Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and past co-chair of the Privacy, Confidentiality, and Security Subcommittee of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics. Professor Francis's most recent book is States of Health: Federalism and Bioethics, (co-authored with John Francis (Oxford 2024). She is the author of many papers in the areas of disability law and ethics, privacy and data use, justice, and bioethics. BRB 251 Penn Medical Ethics

May

8

1104 Blockley Hall

Health Policy Research Seminar: Atheendar Venkataramani, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy and Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Learn More 2025-05-08 12:00:00 2025-05-08 13:00:00 America/New_York Health Policy Research Seminar: Atheendar Venkataramani, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy and Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Title: Political Power and Population Health: Heterogeneous Effects of the U.S. Voting Rights Act Abstract: Policies to increase political power in marginalized groups have been shown to have important impacts on health. However, these same policies may have different impacts for groups who experience a relative decline in power. We investigate the heterogeneous impacts of 1975 extension of the U.S. Voting Rights Act, which extended political power to non-white individuals. We find reductions in mortality rates for both non-white and white infants. However, for older children and adults, the relative reductions in mortality for non-white individuals are mirrored by increases for white individuals. We rule out a range of potential explanations for these unusual patterns, including changes in public spending and household economic status. Instead, we provide evidence that psychosocial mechanisms – namely., status affirmation and threat – serve as key mechanisms. Bio: Atheendar Venkataramani is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy and a staff physician at the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Dr. Venkataramani is a health economist who studies the social and economic forces that impact health and socioeconomic inequality across the life-course. His research combines insights from economics, public health, and clinical medicine, spans both domestic and international settings. Dr. Venkataramani’s work has been published in leading academic journals and has covered widely in media outlets. More importantly, it has been cited by government agencies such as the White House, Department of Labor, and Department of Homeland Security; formed the basis of bills in Pennsylania Legislature and U.S. House and Senate; and referenced in multiple Supreme Court cases. Dr. Venkataramani completed his MD at Washington University, his PhD in Health Policy (Economics) and Yale University, and his BS in Biology and Economics at Duke University. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine–Global Primary Care at the Massachusetts General Hospital. 1104 Blockley Hall Penn Medical Ethics

May

13

Hybrid: RCH B102AB, Richards Bldg., 3700 Hamilton Walk (and virtual via Zoom)

Hybrid-Research Ethics and Policy Series (REPS): "Intertwined for Societal Benefit: Ethical Consideration of Research and Testing with Humans and Other Animals"

Learn More 2025-05-13 12:00:00 2025-05-13 13:00:00 America/New_York Hybrid-Research Ethics and Policy Series (REPS): "Intertwined for Societal Benefit: Ethical Consideration of Research and Testing with Humans and Other Animals" Intertwined for Societal Benefit: Ethical Consideration of Research and Testing with Humans and Other Animals Allyson J. Bennett, PhD Chair, Psychology Department Mark and Ilene Laufman Family Professor of Psychology University of Wisconsin-Madison Dr. Bennett will discuss how scientific research with humans and other animals is intertwined yet plays fundamentally different roles in producing new knowledge with broad-ranging benefits. Humans, other animals, and society more broadly can be affected by choices about what research and testing are conducted, how, where, and when they occur (or do not). This presentation focuses on why understanding the relationship between human and nonhuman animal research and testing is key to informing decisions about scientific studies, ethical consideration, and policy. Professor Allyson J. Bennett is a developmental biopsychologist and Chair of the Psychology Department at UW-Madison. Professor Bennett’s research expertise is in comparative studies of behavioral and neural development, with the overarching objective of advancing scientific insight into factors that result in individual differences in lifespan health. Dr. Bennett has served as Principal Investigator on grants from the National Institutes of Health and has broad experience that includes a range of species-- rats, prosimian primates, monkeys, and chimpanzees— as well as behavioral, physiological, and neuroimaging techniques employed widely in animal research. Dr. Bennett's visit is co-sponsored by Penn University Laboratory Animal Resources. Lunch provided. Streaming available via Zoom. Hybrid: RCH B102AB, Richards Bldg., 3700 Hamilton Walk (and virtual via Zoom) Penn Medical Ethics

May

22

1104 Blockley Hall

Health Policy Research Seminar: Parker Rogers, PhD, Assistant Professor of Business, Indiana University

Learn More 2025-05-22 12:00:00 2025-05-22 13:00:00 America/New_York Health Policy Research Seminar: Parker Rogers, PhD, Assistant Professor of Business, Indiana University Topic: "The Long-Run Impacts of Regulated Price Cuts: Evidence from Medicare." About: How do healthcare cost-saving policies affect innovation and patient safety? In this talk, I'll examine the unintended consequences of Medicare price cuts in the medical device industry. While intended to reduce healthcare costs, these cuts significantly hindered innovation and led to greater dependence on outsourced manufacturing, raising risks related to product quality and patient safety. These findings suggest the losses from reduced innovation may offset the direct savings from price reductions. I'll discuss how targeted policy reforms could better balance healthcare cost management with maintaining incentives for innovation." Parker Rodgers is an Assistant Professor at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, where he researches the impact of regulation on health care product markets. He is also an invited researcher with J-PAL's Science for Progress Initiative. Before joining Kelley, Rodgers was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Aging and Health Research at the National Bureau of Economic Research (2023–2024). He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, San Diego in 2023. 1104 Blockley Hall Penn Medical Ethics

May

27

Hybrid: 1402 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive (and virtual via Zoom)

Hybrid Penn Bioethics Seminar Series (PBS): "On Harm and Hope: Carceral Systems, Youth Well-Being, and the Possibilities for Intervention" - Noor Toraif, PhD, MA

Learn More 2025-05-27 12:00:00 2025-05-27 13:00:00 America/New_York Hybrid Penn Bioethics Seminar Series (PBS): "On Harm and Hope: Carceral Systems, Youth Well-Being, and the Possibilities for Intervention" - Noor Toraif, PhD, MA On Harm and Hope: Carceral Systems, Youth Well-Being, and the Possibilities for Intervention Noor Toraif, PhD, MA Deans' Distinguished Visiting Professorship Assistant Professor, Social Work University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice Dr. Noor Toraif is an Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice. Her mixed methods and community-engaged research examines the nexus of the child welfare, juvenile, and criminal legal systems. She investigates youth and young adults’ experiences within these systems, the causes and consequences of carceral contact, the roles institutions play in perpetuating or preventing youth criminalization, and community-based strategies for disrupting youth criminalization. Dr. Toraif currently serves as Principal Investigator on a study examining the role of public defender teams in supporting system-impacted emerging adults and preventing incarceration; a Co-Investigator on a study investigating the contributions of holistic defense teams; and a Co-Investigator on an LA County-based study examining the impact of guaranteed income and economic and social support for youth aging out of the Los Angeles foster care system. Her broader research agenda examines points of crossover from the child welfare system to the juvenile legal system; conditions of youth criminalization in legal and social service settings; the longitudinal well-being outcomes associated with youths’ criminal legal involvement; the impacts of restorative-justice based youth diversion; and participatory methodologies that engage youth as co-producers of knowledge. Dr. Toraif’s research is published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including PLoS one, the American Journal of Community Psychology, the Journal of Adolescent Research, Sociological Inquiry, Child Welfare, and Research on Social Work Practice. Dr. Toraif received her PhD from the Boston University School of Social Work, where she was also a Ford Foundation Fellow, a Society for Social Work and Research Doctoral Fellow, and a Harvard Rappaport Fellow. She earned her MA in Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University, specializing in children’s and families’ programs and policies, where she also received Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Engagement Scholar Fellowship. She earned BA degrees in both Neuroscience and Psychology and Philosophy at Boston University. Streaming available via Zoom. Hybrid: 1402 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive (and virtual via Zoom) Penn Medical Ethics

June

10

Hybrid: RCH B102AB, Richards Bldg., 3700 Hamilton Walk (and virtual via Zoom)

Research Ethics and Policy Series (REPS): "Returning Genetic Research Results"

Learn More 2025-06-10 12:00:00 2025-06-10 13:00:00 America/New_York Research Ethics and Policy Series (REPS): "Returning Genetic Research Results" Returning Genetic Research Results Angela R. Bradbury, MD Professor of Medicine (Hematology-Oncology) Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Associate Professor, Medical Ethics & Health Policy More detail to follow. Lunch provided. Streaming available via Zoom. Hybrid: RCH B102AB, Richards Bldg., 3700 Hamilton Walk (and virtual via Zoom) Penn Medical Ethics

June

17

Hybrid: 1402 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive (and virtual via Zoom)

Penn Bioethics Seminar Series (PBS): "The Other Disabled President" with Beth Linker, PhD

Learn More 2025-06-17 12:00:00 2025-06-17 13:00:00 America/New_York Penn Bioethics Seminar Series (PBS): "The Other Disabled President" with Beth Linker, PhD The Other Disabled President Beth Linker, PhD Samuel H. Preston Endowed Term Professor in the Social Sciences Department Chair of the History and Sociology of Science University of Pennsylvania Beth Linker is Chair of the Department of the History and Sociology of Science and the Samuel H. Preston Endowed Term Professor in the Social Sciences. She is also a former physical therapist and holds an M.A. in bioethics. Her research focuses on how disability becomes defined, medicalized, and marginalized in modern U.S. history. More detail to follow. Streaming available via Zoom. Hybrid: 1402 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive (and virtual via Zoom) Penn Medical Ethics

June

24

Hybrid: 1402 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive (and virtual via Zoom)

Penn Bioethics Seminar Series (PBS): Barbara Chaiyachati, MD, PhD

Learn More 2025-06-24 12:00:00 2025-06-24 13:00:00 America/New_York Penn Bioethics Seminar Series (PBS): Barbara Chaiyachati, MD, PhD Barbara Chaiyachati, MD, PhD Attending Physician, Division of General Pediatrics Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Barbara Chaiyachati, MD, PhD is a physician-scientist interested in addressing and abating the short and long-term effects of traumatic-stressful events or adversities, particularly child maltreatment. More detail to follow. Streaming available via Zoom. Hybrid: 1402 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive (and virtual via Zoom) Penn Medical Ethics

July

22

Hybrid: 1402 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive (and virtual via Zoom)

Penn Bioethics Seminar Series (PBS): "Pre-Hospital Triage Decision Making in Times of Scarce Resources – a Mixed Method Study within the Swiss Healthcare Setting"

Learn More 2025-07-22 12:00:00 2025-07-22 13:00:00 America/New_York Penn Bioethics Seminar Series (PBS): "Pre-Hospital Triage Decision Making in Times of Scarce Resources – a Mixed Method Study within the Swiss Healthcare Setting" Pre-Hospital Triage Decision Making in Times of Scarce Resources – a Mixed Method Study within the Swiss Healthcare Setting Elisabeth Stock Scientific Assistant PhD Candidate Institute for Biomedical Ethics Basel Switzerland The COVID-19 pandemic raised numerous ethical questions around the use of limited medical resources in emergency situations and beyond. In response, guidelines were drafted and implemented to ensure ethically sound rationing of critical resources. Numerous ethical guidelines have been developed on how to triage patients in hospitals, in cases where extensive medical care cannot be provided to all patients who need it. However, much less attention was given to drafting guidance on pre- and peri-hospital management under conditions of scarcity. Hence, there is little literature on direct or indirect forms of pre-hospital triage, which can often be implicit or non-transparent. This is problematic, as there are signs that some forms of triage happened in the pre- or peri-hospitalisation period, creating ethically questionable disparities, particularly concerning older patients. To explore the pre-triage mechanisms applied in Switzerland during the COVID-19 pandemic amid medical resource scarcity, a qualitative interview study was carried out with 57 healthcare professionals from various Swiss healthcare organizations. Further, a survey was conducted with 213 older patients from four geriatric clinics to gather their opinions on the allocation of scarce medical resources. The aim of the presentation is to share the key findings of the study on our participants' experiences, perceptions, and opinions regarding pre-triage mechanisms during the COVID- 19 pandemic. Streaming available via Zoom. Hybrid: 1402 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive (and virtual via Zoom) Penn Medical Ethics