THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 18, 1996 TAG: 9608180057
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 39 lines
In a move to help families prepare for life-and-death decisions, Obici Hospital is opening its monthly ``Discussion in Clinical Ethics'' programs to the public.
``No other hospital in the area invites the public to discuss case scenarios,'' said Barbara Ridenhour, Obici vice president of nursing.
The first public session will be from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. The sessions will continue the third Tuesday of each month in the hospital's multipurpose room.
People are living longer, and that means more end-of-life issues, said Dr. Moussa Y. Menasha, Obici chief of medicine and chairman of its Ethics Council.
``People do have a say in what happens,'' he said. ``We like to involve them in joint decision-making.''
While actual cases will be discussed, involved families will not be on hand, and no names will be used. Still, Menasha said, ``participants can learn to identify and address ethical issues that one day could affect them or loved ones.''
Ideally, Ridenhour said, people will learn to make decisions before becoming critically ill and when they are of sound mind.
``What families demand when a patient reaches the end of his life is often inappropriate,'' she said. ``We see too much overtreatment at end of life, family members wanting life to keep going.''
In other instances, families want to withdraw treatment, she said.
Sometimes, the wishes of the family, patient and doctors clash, Menasha said. ``We never tell them what to do,'' Ridenhour said. ``They have to reach a compromise.''
Menasha said, ``Some people are reluctant to discuss these issues. Sometimes, doctors are too busy. Obici wants to make sure that when the end comes, there is no guesswork.''
The discussion Tuesday will center on a dilemma when a patient voices a desire counter to his family's wishes. by CNB