Family Matters/Families Matter:
Ethical Considerations in Patient Decision Making

Friday, May 2, 2025

We are excited to announce the 3rd Annual Paul M. Schyve, MD, Center for Bioethics Conference, featuring the theme: Family Matters/Families Matter: Ethical Considerations in Patient Decision Making, scheduled for Friday, May 2nd, 2025, and Saturday, May 3rd, 2025.

This year’s conference is proudly co-sponsored by the Alden March Bioethics Institute at Albany Medical College, the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at Upstate Medical University, and the University of Rochester School of Nursing. With support from these distinguished institutions, the Paul M. Schyve, MD, Center for Bioethics Conference is the Premier Clinical Ethics Conference in New York State, where professionals from across the region gather to explore the most pressing topics in healthcare ethics. Whether you're looking to refine your practice, navigate complex ethical dilemmas, or stay updated on the latest trends, this conference offers unparalleled opportunities for professional development in the heart of New York State.

Featured Speaker

Family-Centered Care in the Time of Workplace Violence: The Role of Clinical Ethics in Rebuilding Trust

Amy Caruso Brown, MD, MSc, MSCS
Interim Chair, Bioethics & Humanities
Associate Professor of Bioethics & Humanities
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
SUNY Upstate Medical University 

Dr. Amy Caruso Brown is the Interim Chair of Bioethics and Humanities and an Associate Professor of Bioethics and Humanities and of Pediatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University, where she is a practicing pediatric hematologist/oncologist and clinical ethics consultant. Her scholarly work explores ethical, professional and cultural issues in pediatric decision-making and promotes the development of just and equitable hospital policies. Dr. Caruso Brown is a graduate of the University of Virginia (BA, 2002), the University of Oxford (MSc in Medical Anthropology, 2008), Emory University (MD, 2008), and the University of Colorado (MSCS, 2014). She completed graduate medical training in general pediatrics and pediatric hematology/oncology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (2008-2009) and the Children’s Hospital Colorado (2009-2014).

Saturday, May 3^rd, 2024 – Pediatric Focused Half-Day Workshop

This pediatrics-focused half-day workshop will explore the role of parents’ reasons and reason-giving practices more broadly in guiding decisions for children. Attendees will engage in reflection on questions such as “do the reasons parents offer in support of a request for or refusal of treatment matter to assessments of medical neglect?” and “how do parents’ reasons influence clinicians’ judgments of what is ethically permissible for children?” It will consist of a keynote lecture and facilitated breakout session discussion.