About NYSTEM

Ethics Committee

Richard F. Daines, M.D., is the fourteenth New York State Health Commissioner. Prior to becoming Commissioner, Dr. Daines was the President and CEO of St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center from January 1, 2002 until January 2007. Previous to joining the Hospital Center as Medical Director in 2000, he served as Senior Vice President for Professional Affairs of St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, New York since 1994 and the Medical Director from 1987 to 1999. Dr. Daines received a Bachelor of History degree from Utah State University in 1974 and served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Bolivia, 1970-1972. He received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in 1978. He served a residency in internal medicine at New York Hospital and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Critical Care Medicine (1987-1997).

Rev. Thomas Berg, Ph.D., is Adjunct Professor of moral philosophy at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical College in Rome, Italy.  A Roman Catholic priest, he is member of the Legionaries of Christ and teaches at the congregation’s house of studies in Thornwood, NY, where he also is founder and Executive Director of The Westchester Institute for Ethics & the Human Person. Rev. Berg received his M.A. in Liberal Studies from Wesleyan University in 1997, and his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Regina Apostolorum in 1999. He specializes in natural law theory, personhood theory, and biomedical issues dealing with the beginning of life. For the past five years, he has dedicated most of his philosophical research to the question of the moral status of the human embryo. Working with members of the President’s Council on Bioethics, he has organized an interdisciplinary group of scientists, philosophers and moral theologians to engage in an on-going study of the moral and scientific feasibility of Altered Nuclear Transfer and other non-embryo-destructive sources of human pluripotent stem cells. He has recently co-edited a volume of essays by Catholic moral theologians entitled: “Human Embryo Adoption: Biotechnology, Marriage, and the Right to Life.” He also sits on the boards of The Institute for the Psychological Sciences in Arlington, Virginia, and The University of Sacramento in Sacramento, California.

Nancy Neveloff Dubler, LL.B. is the Director of the Division of Bioethics, Department of Family and Social Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center and Professor of Bioethics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She received her LL.B. from the Harvard Law School. Ms. Dubler directs the Bioethics Consultation Service at Montefiore Medical Center as a support for analysis of difficult clinical cases presenting ethical issues in the health care setting. This service uses mediation as its process. She lectures extensively and is the author of numerous articles and books on termination of care, home care and long-term care, geriatrics, adolescent medicine, prison and jail health care, and AIDS. She is Co-Director of the Certificate Program in Bioethics and the Medical Humanities, conducted jointly by Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine with Cardozo Law School of Yeshiva University. Her most recent books are The Ethics and Regulation of Research with Human Subjects, Coleman, Menikoff, Goldner and Dubler, LexisNexis, 2005, and Bioethics Mediation: A Guide to Shaping Shared Solutions, co-author, Carol Liebman, United Hospital Fund, New York, New York, 2004. She consults often with federal agencies, national working groups and bioethics centers.

Brooke Ellison, M.A., has worked as an advocate for stem cell research for nearly a decade. In 1990, at the age of 11, she was in an accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a ventilator to breathe.  However, Ms. Ellison never let her physical situation stand in the way of what she could achieve, and she graduated with honors from Harvard University in 2000 and from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in 2004.  In 2002, she published an autobiography, “Miracles Happen,” which was later made into a movie directed by Christopher Reeve.  For more than a decade, she has worked across the country as a public speaker, delivering her message of hope, optimism and strength in the face of obstacles, using her own experiences as a vehicle to convey the message.  Ms. Ellison was a candidate for New York State Senate in 2006, focusing on the need for New York to embrace funding for stem cell research.  She has continued her work in the field of stem cell research, and in July of 2007 formed a non-profit organization, The Brooke Ellison Project, to educate and mobilize on behalf of the research. In addition, working with leading scientists and advocates in the field, she presently is working on a documentary to provide the necessary information on stem cell research.

Samuel Gorovitz, Ph.D., former Dean of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University, led in the development of the field of medical ethics and has published extensively on other topics in philosophy and public policy. He has given more than 200 invited lectures in dozens of countries on five continents, and in 1989 led a National Institutes of Health regional workshop on research with human subjects. His publications include more than 120 articles, reviews and editorials in philosophical journals, medical journals, public policy journals, and newspapers. He is a co-author of “Philosophical Analysis” and an editor of several anthologies. His two most recent books are “Doctors' Dilemmas: Moral Conflict and Medical Care” and “Drawing the Line: Life, Death, and Ethical Choices in an American Hospital.” In fall 1996, he served as the Baker-Hostetler Professor of Law at Cleveland Marshall College of Law, and in fall 1998 was Visiting Scholar in the Department of Science and Technology Studies at Cornell University. Since 1988 he has served, by gubernatorial appointment, on the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law. He was Dearing-Daly Professor of Bioethics and Humanities at the SUNY Upstate Medical University from 2001-2004, and for 2004-05 was Visiting Professor of Philosophy and Bioethicist in Residence at Yale.  He is Founding Director of the Renée Crown University Honors Program and Professor of Philosophy at Syracuse University.

David C. Hohn, M.D., is President Emeritus and Executive Director of Health Policy at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), where he served for 10 years as President and CEO. Dr. Hohn continues his national leadership role in health policy issues, especially as they relate to cancer research and treatment and training the next generation of cancer specialists. During his tenure as RPCI President, Dr. Hohn was widely credited with re-establishing the Institute as a leader in the national cancer community. He implemented the Institute’s first strategic plan focused on making RPCI internationally and nationally competitive in cancer science; led the restructuring of RPCI as a public benefit corporation; stabilized funding and increased revenue; recruited over 160 senior leadership faculty, top-tier clinicians and scientists; completed the $250 million renovation and rebuilding of the Institute campus; and implemented an innovative managed care strategy which opened regional access to RPCI. As Principal Investigator of the National Cancer Institute Cancer’s Center Support Grant, Dr. Hohn led the successful renewal of Roswell Park’s designation as a comprehensive cancer center – a designation the Institute has held continuously since 1974. Dr. Hohn came to RPCI from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center where, as Vice President for Patient Care from 1993 to 1997, his responsibilities included oversight of all clinical departments, clinical research programs and the protocol office.

Robert Klitzman, M.D., is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry (in Socio-medical Sciences) in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Joseph Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.  He co-founded and for five years co-directed the Columbia University Center for Bioethics, and is currently the Director of the Ethics, Policy and Human Rights Core of the HIV Center, and a member of the Division of Psychiatry, Law and Ethics. Dr. Klitzman has written numerous articles and chapters, and six books, examining ethical, social, psychological, and policy issues related to stem cells, research ethics, genetic testing, reproductive decision-making, privacy of genetic and other health information, IRB decision-making, professional education, and other areas. His most recent book, “Mortal Secrets:  Truth and Lies in the Age of AIDS,” examines views of medical privacy and ethical decision-making related to HIV and other realms, and implications for public policy.  He also has engaged in public education in medical ethics, writing about these issues for the New York Times and elsewhere. Dr. Klitzman has received several honors and awards for his work, including fellowships from the Aaron Diamond Foundation, the American Psychiatric Association, the Russell Sage Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund, and the Rockefeller Foundation.

Vivian S. Lee, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A. is Vice Dean for Science, Senior Vice-President and Chief Scientific Officer of the NYU Medical Center. She also is Professor and Vice-Chair for Research in the Department of Radiology and Professor of Physiology and Neuroscience. A practicing MRI radiologist, Dr. Lee is the principal investigator of three National Institutes of Health research grants and serves as a charter member of the Medical Imaging NIH study section. She is a Fellow and President-Elect of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. Dr. Lee has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and a recent textbook, Cardiovascular MRI: Physical Principles to Practical Protocols. Her research focuses on the development of quantitative functional MRI for the improved understanding of physiology and disease. Dr. Lee was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University, where she received a doctorate in medical engineering. She earned her M.D. at Harvard Medical School, completed her residency in Diagnostic Radiology at Duke, and was a fellow in Body and Cardiovascular MRI and Thoracic Imaging at NYU. Dr. Lee completed an M.B.A. at NYU’s Stern School of Business in 2006.

H. Hugh Maynard-Reid, D.Min., BCC., CASAC, is the Director of  Pastoral Care Department in the North Brooklyn Health Network in the Health and Hospital Corporation in New York City. He is a Board Certified Chaplain and a Credentialed Addiction and Substance Abuse Counselor by the State of New York. He also has Certification in Human and Medical Bioethics. Previously, Rev. Dr. Maynard-Reid served as a Minister for 15 years in New York City. He also was the Associate Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Studies at Northern Caribbean University (formerly West Indies College) and Adjunct Professor at Andrews University. He is a member of the Association of Professional Chaplains and serves the Regional Certification team and the Multi-cultural committee. He is an Advisory Member of Catholic Health Services of Long Island Pastoral education and Chaplaincy services. He served as a member of the Institutional Review Board and HRC and is a member of the Ethics Committee in the North Brooklyn Health Network. As a member of the Brooklyn Ecumenical Advisory his Community Services work centers on community leaders’ health education.

Samuel Packer, M.D., is Chair Emeritus of the Department of Ophthalmology at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System. He holds the endowed Arthur and Arlene Levine Professorship and is a Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology (NYU School of Medicine). Dr. Packer started his ophthalmology practice in 1972. He has served as Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at North Shore University Hospital (1984-2004) and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System (2005-2007). As a board-certified ophthalmologist, he divides his time between his clinical practice and his interest in medical ethics, education and research. Dr. Packer began as a research collaborator at Brookhaven National Laboratory (1971-1993) and rose to the rank of Scientist. His major contribution was to pioneer the use of low energy radioactive sources to treat melanoma of the eye. Dr. Packer received his medical degree from State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, completed a medical internship at Kings County Medical Center and an ophthalmology residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital. He has served as President of the New York State Ophthalmological Society, the Nassau County Medical Society and the Nassau Academy of Medicine. In addition, Dr. Packer has been a member of the New York State Task Force on Life & the Law since 1992, served as Chair of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Ethics Committee and is the Executive Chair of the Lions Eye Bank for Long Island. He is presently Chair of the Ethics Committee at North Shore – LIJ Health System.

Rev. Monsignor William Smith, S.T.D., is a Professor of Moral Theology at St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie, Yonkers, NY, and a Roman Catholic priest ordained in 1966 for the Archdiocese of New York. Monsignor Smith received his B.A. in philosophy in 1961 from St. Joseph's Seminary and College. He received his M.Div. in 1965 and his M.A. in theology in 1966 from St. Joseph's Seminary. He received his S.T.D., a doctorate in moral theology, in 1971 from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Since 1971, he has been the Professor of Moral Theology at St. Joseph's Seminary and was the Dean of the Faculty, teaching fundamental moral theology and medical ethics from 1977 through 1988 and again from 2000 through 2005. Monsignor Smith holds the Margaret Leibman Berger Chair in Medical Ethics. He is a member of the Ethics Committee of St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan and Calvary Hospital in the Bronx.

Daniel P. Sulmasy, O.F.M., M.D., Ph.D., a Franciscan Friar, holds the Sisters of Charity Chair in Ethics at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Manhattan, and serves as Professor of Medicine and Director of the Bioethics Institute of New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY.  He received his A.B. and M.D. degrees from Cornell University and completed his residency, chief residency, and post-doctoral fellowship in General Internal Medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.  He received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Georgetown University in 1995.  From 1991 to 1998 he served on the faculty at Georgetown, where he was Director of the Center for Clinical Bioethics and Senior Research Scholar of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics. He was appointed by the governor to the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law in 2005. His research interests include the ethics of end-of-life decision-making, ethics education, and spirituality in medicine. He is the author of four books: “The Healer’s Calling,” “Methods in Medical Ethics,” “The Rebirth of the Clinic,” and “A Balm for Gilead.”   He serves as editor-in-chief of the journal, Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics. His numerous articles have appeared in medical, philosophical, and theological journals and he has lectured widely both in the U.S. and abroad. 

Robert N. Swidler, M.A., J.D., is General Counsel to Northeast Health, a not-for-profit health care system in New York's Capital Region that includes hospitals, nursing homes, home care, senior residences and other affiliates.  Previously, Mr. Swidler was a partner at Hiscock & Barclay, Deputy Commissioner and Counsel to the NYS Office of Mental Health, and Assistant Counsel to Governor Mario Cuomo. From 1985-90, Mr. Swidler was Staff Counsel to the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law, where he helped develop the Task Force's proposals on brain death, DNR orders, health care proxies and organ transplantation.  Mr. Swidler has written numerous articles on health law topics, and co-authored chapters in the Legal Manual for New York Physicians on informed consent and life-sustaining treatment decisions.  He was Chair of the NYS Bar Association Health Law Section in 1999-2000, and currently is Editor of the Association’s Health Law Journal.  He is also a member of the faculty of the Alden March Bioethics Institute in Albany.  Mr. Swidler is a graduate of Columbia Law School ('82) and SUNY Binghamton (BA '77, MA '78).