Adrienne Asch
Yeshiva University, Center for Ethics
Telephone: 212-960-0834
Email: show
Adrienne Asch is the Director of the Center for Ethics at Yeshiva University, where she holds appointments at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her work focuses on ethical issues in reproduction, death and dying, and justice for disadvantaged minorities in American society. She is a member of the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law, board member of the Society for Jewish Ethics, the Academic Coalition for Jewish Bioethics, and The American Civil Liberties Union.
When “Compassionate” Doctors Face “Unfeeling” Insurance Companies
Identity & Responsibility
Compassionate doctors often believe that they are prevented from providing their patients with the high-quality treatments they deserve because of "the system". Health insurance plans often refuse to pay for lengths of stay in hospitals that doctors think patients need. At other times, an insurance company will refuse to cover treatments for a patient who doesn't present with a specified diagnosis. Sometimes doctors decide to shave the truth, exaggerate a patient's situation or change a diagnosis so that a patient will get the care that doctor and patient think is necessary. How should we as Jews regard such practices when doctors clearly undertake them to benefit patients?
The Ethics of Assisted Reproduction
Identity & Responsibility
Sometimes having a baby isn't as easy as we would like. Straight and gay couples and single people seek assistance from others to provide eggs, sperm, or gestation. The participants in this session will discuss real-life cases that have come before ethics committees and will look at how different views of ethics influence their resolution. Illustrative topics will include: Should friends or relatives provide eggs, sperm, or wombs, or should these come from strangers? Should the sperm or egg donor ever play a role in the child's life? Should payment be involved?
Facing Illness, Dying, and Death
Identity & Responsibility
Illness, injury, disability, and impending death are part of the human condition. How should we face them? What can we learn from Jewish and other bioethics sources to guide us in making decisions for ourselves or in making decisions for beloved family members or friends who may rely on us to help them in times of crisis? In this session we will examine common ethical dilemmas facing individuals and families, when to treat and when to stop treatment; when interventions may be life- affirming and when they may seem contrary to an ethic of choosing life. In addition to exploring cases that have been commented upon in Jewish and secular discussions of these matters, participants will have a chance to bring their own cases and questions to be explored in chevruta and small- group discussion.
Ethical Issues in Testing Embryos and Fetuses
Identity & Responsibility
In this session, we will look at many contrasting views on an increasingly common practice: testing embryos or fetuses to learn about their health status or sex. Such techniques can help prospective parents make decisions that support their goals for their future families. Avoiding the birth of a child who would experience a disease or disability may avert pain and hardship for families. Jewish and non-Jewish ethical sources will be discussed that explore the potential problems as well as the benefits of such testing for families and society.
