Former Associate Professor of Health Law and Policy at Florida International University
Position:
Pro to the question "Should euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide be legal?"
Reasoning:
"Those who oppose a right to assisted suicide predict that a substantial number of people with disabilities would be killed against their will if assisted suicide were legalized. However, there is no evidence that this has happened to people on life-support systems, who have had the right to die at least since the Cruzan decision in 1990. We believe that abuses of assisted suicide, to the extent they are now occurring behind closed doors, are less likely to continue once assisted suicide is legalized and appropriately regulated."
"Disability and Physician-Assisted Dying," Physician-Assisted Dying: The Case for Palliative Care & Patient Choice, 2004
Experts
MDs, JDs (Lawyers), PhDs and Religious Leaders with significant involvement in end-of-life issues. [Because end-of-life dilemmas require medical, ethical, legal, and in some case religious considerations, we view MDs, PhDs with a bio-ethical focus, and JDs/religious leaders with significant involvement as "experts" in the euthanasia debate.] [Note: Experts definition varies by site.]
Involvement and Affiliations:
Associate Professor, Health Law and Policy, Florida International University
Former Partner, McDermott, Will & Emery
Helped write the Americans with Disabilities Act
Former Associate Director, White House Domestic Policy Council under President George Bush
Former Legislative Assistant, Senator John McCain
Distinguished Scholar, Mary Switzer Fellowship Program, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, 1986 & 2001
Former White House Fellow
Education:
JD, Harvard Law School
MS, Stanford University Medical School
BA, University of California
Contact Info:
Phone: None found Fax: None found E-Mail:
None found Website:
None found
Select Publications:
"Disability and Physician-Assisted Dying," Physician-Assisted Dying: The Case for Palliative Care & Patient Choice, 2004 (published post-humously)
"The Financial Vulnerability of People with Disabilities: Assessing Poverty Risks," Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 2001
"Even Playing Field For Consumer-Directed Long-Term Care," Health Affairs, 2000
"Prospects for a National Personal Assistance Services Program: Enhancing Choice for People With Disabilities," American Rehabilitation, Dec. 22, 1998
"Disability and Physician-Assisted Suicide," New England Journal of Medicine, 1997
"Societal Duty and Resource Allocation for Persons with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury," Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 1989
