Hastings Center News

Hastings Center, Co-Founder Honored for Ethics Leadership

The Hastings Center and its late co-founder Dan Callahan were honored for their pioneering work in pursuit of a just society by the Collaborative for Palliative Care at its annual conference on Wednesday, December 12th, at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York.

The conference, focused on integrating the palliative and social ethics of care, featured Hastings Center president Mildred Z. Solomon and Hastings Fellows Joseph J. Fins and Bruce Jennings.

Palliative care is a transformative approach to care for persons with severe illnesses and who are nearing the end of life.

In her keynote speech to the conference, Solomon noted that the United States and other wealthy nations are “aging societies,” technically defined as having more people over the age of 65 than under 15. “But neither our individual families, nor our societies, are ready,” she warned.

Collaborative Founder and President Mary Beth Quaranta Morrissey then presented the Mary Ann Quaranta Ethical Society Award to The Hastings Center and Callahan posthumously.

Quaranta, a pioneer in the field of social work, was the former dean of the Fordham Graduate School of Social Service and a past president of the National Association of Social Workers.

Morrissey, a fellow at the Global Healthcare Innovation Management Center at Fordham University, also led a panel at the conference with the Hastings Fellows and palliative care leaders Thomas V. Caprio, and Christopher Comfort, on decision making for persons with dementia.

Attendees later discussed corporate and community model on family caregiving, interdisciplinary approaches to children’s palliative care, and related strategies for veterans and people with dementia.

The conference was held in partnership with The Hastings Center, Calvary Hospital, and the Finger Lakes Geriatrics Education Center.