Preparing for responsible leadership in health care

Public policy and ethical issues in health pose some of modern society’s most complex questions and present daunting challenges to leaders. An innovative program between the Jepson School of Leadership Studies and the pre-health education department of the College of Arts and Sciences prepares doctors and health care professionals for ethical leadership in the health care field.

Funded by the Claude Moore Charitable Fund, the multi-layered initiative includes interdisciplinary courses, internships, lectures and the creation of a minor in medical humanities.

Two new courses were added to the curriculum. One focuses on holistic healing and medical humanities was added to the curriculum. The other is “Leadership and Ethical Decision Making in Health Care.” The new medical humanities  minor includes these two new courses and three others.

In addition, nine students worked in health care-related summer internshps funded by the program.

The Claude Moore Lecture extends the consideration of ethical leadership in medicine across the campus and community. One lecturer was Walter Graham, executive director of the Richmond-based United Network for Organ Sharing. Another public bioethics program included students' reports on their internships and a lecture by Dr. Edmund Pellegrino. Pellegrino is Georgetown University's John Carroll Professor of Medicine and Medical Ethics, emeritus, and is considered to be the founding father of modern medical bioethics.

In addition, at a 2007 workshop co-sponsored by the Jepson School, the university encouraged other colleges and universities to add courses on leadership in health care to their offerings.

The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, a philanthropic organization, enhances educational opportunities for young people in the Commonwealth of Virginia and elsewhere. Dr. Moore was a Northern Virginia physician and an extensive landholder.