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About
The bioethics program encompasses the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, which is supported by Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, and the Division of Bioethics in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Our mission has three broad components:
- Provide consultation and education for families, health-care providers, researchers and policymakers.
- Conduct research on ethical issues related to pediatric health care and clinical research.
- Train the next generation of clinicians and bioethicists about pediatric bioethics.
Our program has developed partnerships with the Department of Medical History and Ethics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, as well as the Schools of Law, Nursing and Public Health and Community Medicine to accomplish our mission.
This is the first bioethics center established in the United States to focus on pediatric issues. While our primary commitment is to Seattle Children’s Hospital, we are extending our reach to pediatrics and bioethics communities throughout the Pacific Northwest and the U.S.
History
The Center for Pediatric Bioethics began in 2005 under the leadership of Douglas S. Diekema, MD, MPH. Dr. Diekema has been a faculty member of the Department of Pediatrics since 1993 and chairs Seattle Children’s Institutional Review Board. He served as the center’s interim director from 2005 to 2006. He now serves as the center’s director of education and leads the Clinical Bioethics Fellowship program.
The same year, Seattle Children’s Hospital’s Board of Trustees endowed the center and named it to honor retiring CEO Treuman Katz for his interest in pediatric bioethics.
In August 2006, Benjamin S. Wilfond, MD joined the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics as director and established the Division of Bioethics in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
