The end of life — often the most emotionally fraught and expensive periods of medical care—is the topic of a conference at Emory School of Law.  

"Health Care, Ethics and Dispute Resolution Best Practices for Addressing End-of-Life Issues and Providing Patient-Centered Care," co-sponsored by the Emory Center for Ethics and the law school, is Tuesday, March 5, beginning at 8:30 a.m. in Emory Law’s Tull Auditorium, with registration held during the preceding half-hour.

The free, half-day event features experts in the fields of ethics, law, religion and medicine.  Speakers will discuss best practices for addressing end-of-life issues and providing patient-centered care.

Panel topics include:  

• "How Can We All Get Along? The Key Elements of Preventing Conflict"
• "Tough Discussions and Difficult Decisions: When and How to Have Them and Make Them in Order to Achieve Better Outcomes"
• "Taking the High Road and the Role of Ethics in the Resolution of Conflict: What Are the Real Issues and How Can We Look for Solutions When They Arise?"

The opening speaker is Charity Scott, associate faculty at Emory's Center for Ethics, Catherine C. Henson Professor of Law, and director of Georgia State University College of Law's Center for Law, Health and Society.  

Other speakers include:  

• Michael J. Broyde, professor of law and senior fellow, Center for the Study of Law and Religion

• Craig M. Frankel, attorney, GaslowitzFrankel LLC

• Kathy Kinlaw, associate director, Center for Ethics and director of the center's Health Sciences and Ethics program

• Elwood H. Spackman Jr., executive director, Emory Center for Pastoral Services and co-chair, ethics committees of Emory and Wesley Woods hospitals

• LIza Vertinsky, Emory law professor

• Deborah Cruze, senior associate for the  Center for Ethics' Health Sciences and Ethics program

• Tara Adyanthaya, attorney and former associate general counsel on health care matters of Emory

• Charlene Bunts, principal, Health Development Resource/Consulting

• Tammy Quest, associate professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine; principal, Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care, Emergency Medicine Initiative.

The conference is presented by Emory Law's Center for Professional Development and Career Strategy, the Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution, the Center for the Study of Law and Religion and the Emory University Center for Ethics, in cooperation with the Emory Law Alternative Dispute Resolution Society, the Student Bar Association and the Health Law Society.  

For more information, contact Jonathan Anderson.