Dr. John Song’s Vision for Health Equity: Dignity in Death and Dying While in Prison

At the heart of bioethics lies the pursuit of a compassionate and just society. Dr. John Song embodied this heartfelt approach as a bioethicist and an advocate for health equity for the homeless, individuals with HIV/AIDs, and people in prison. Join us for a special Ethics Grand Rounds where we will honor Dr. Song's legacy and share the findings of his final research project, "Advance Care Planning and Goals of Care for Unrepresented Older Prisoners," funded by the Alex and Rita Hillman Foundation and passed on to his colleague Susan O'Conner-Von to complete after his passing in March 2019. The project focused on supporting prisoners’ autonomy and access to advance care planning, which is essential to allowing incarcerated individuals the right to die with dignity in an environment typified by lack of choice and control. O'Conner-Von, along with co-researcher Patricia Berry, celebrate John's vision for health equity by sharing their research findings.
This was an event of the Office of Academic Clinical Affairs (OACA) hosted by the Center for Bioethics and co-sponsored by the following U of MN units: The Robina Institute of Criminal Law & Criminal Justice, The Program in Health Disparities Research, the Medical School, and the School of Nursing.
The Center for Bioethics Ethics Grand Rounds feature noted local, national, and international bioethics scholars who lecture on a wide variety of ethical issues in health care and the life sciences.
The mission of the Center is to advance understanding concerning ethical issues in biomedical research, health care and the life sciences, with a focus on the rights and interests of patients, research participants, and the public. The Center carries out this mission by conducting original interdisciplinary research and scholarship, offering educational programs and courses, fostering public discussion and debate, and assisting in the formulation of public policy. The Center provides education in bioethics for University students, faculty, and staff; professionals in health care and related fields; and interested members of the general public.