>>> TUESDAY NIGHT AT THE WORTHAM
CENTER, ACTRESS AND PLAYWRITE
WILL PERFORM HER ONE WOMAN
DOCUDRAMA CALLED LET ME DOWN
EASY.
IT'S THE STORY OF THE
VULNERABILITY OF THE BODY AND
RESILIENCE OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT.
THE BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE,
IT'S ALSO A CHANCE TO FOCUS ON
THE TOPIC OF MEDICAL ETHICS
SPONSORED BY THE HEALTH POLICY
OF THE BAYLOR COLLEGE OF
MEDICINE.
IT'S BEING LOOKED AT AS A NEW
WAY OF OPENING DISCUSSION ABOUT
MORTALITY AND THE ETHICAL ISSUES
SURROUNDING THE DIFFICULT
DECISIONS THAT WE ALL
ULTIMATELY WILL FACE.
JOINING ME THIS MORNING TO TALK
ABOUT THE SHOW AND THE TOPIC OF
ETHICS, DR. AIM A, DIRECTOR OF
THE BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE'S
CENTER FOR MEDICAL ETHICS AND
HEALTH POLICY.
AND N.J. PIERCE, ONE OF THE CO-
SHARES OF THE LET ME DOWN EASY
PERFORMANCE.
GOOD MORNING TO BOTH OF YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.
THIS IS VERY INTRIGUING TO ME.
MY FATHER IS 98 YEARS OLD, SO
MORTALITY IS SOMETHING THAT'S
ALWAYS WITH ME IN TERMS OF
THINKING ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT
WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
WHAT IS IT THAT YOU DO, THE
MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER
FOR MEDICAL ETHICS, WHAT DOES
THAT ENTAIL?
>> THE CENTER FOR MEDICAL
ETHICS, WE TEACH.
WE DO RESEARCH, AND WE PROVIDE
CONSULTATION TO HEALTHCARE
PROVIDERS AND PATIENTS AND
FAMILY MEMBERS WHEN THEY'RE
DEALING WITH ETHICAL ISSUES AND
STRUGGLES THAT HAPPEN WHEN WE
ALL FACE ILLNESS AND POTENTIALLY
DEATH.
>> WHAT KINDS OF THINGS ARE OUT
THERE THAT PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING
WITH?
ASSISTED SUICIDE ONE OF THOSE
THINGS THAT COMES UP AS A TOPIC?
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
GOES ON WITHIN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY
WORK, WHAT KINDS OF THINGS
YOU'RE DEALING WITH.
I GUESS FROM BOTH SIDES, FROM
THE DOCTOR'S POINT OF VIEW AND
ALSO MAYBE FROM THE PEOPLE WHO
AREN'T DOCTORS.
>> YEAH.
SO ASSISTED SUICIDE IS CERTAINLY
AN ISSUE.
BUT REALLY PROBABLY THE BREAD
AND BUTTER AND THE BIGGEST ISSUE
THAT WE SEE IN A HOSPITAL IS
WHEN PATIENTS COME IN AND
THEY'RE NOT REALLY ABLE TO MAKE
DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES BECAUSE
THEY NO LONGER HAVE THE CAPACITY
AND THERE ISN'T A REALLY CLEAR
IDEA OF WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE
WANTED.
SO THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS ARE PUT
IN A POSITION WHERE THEY HAVE TO
MAKE DECISIONS ON THEIR BEHALF.
THEY MAY NOT KNOW WHAT THEY
SHOULD DO.
SO WE END UP SPENDING A LOT OF
MONEY IN THE UNITED STATES
PURSUING VERY AGGRESSIVE LIFE
SUSTAINING TREATMENT TOWARD THE
END OF LIFE THAT SURVEYS HAVE
SHOWN MOST PEOPLE ACTUALLY WOULD
PROBABLY N WANT.
>> SO N.J., HOW DID YOU GET
INVOLVED AND WHY THE CONNECTION
TO THIS WHOLE CONCEPT?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
FIRST, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US
TODAY.
I COME TO IT FIRST AND FOREMOST
TO HONOR THE PEOPLE THAT I KNOW
AND LOVE THAT I'VE LOST IN MY
LIFE.
SECOND, TO SUPPORT PEOPLE LIKE
AMY AND THE OTHER POCKETS OF
EXCELLENCE WE FOUND ACROSS THE
CITY OF REALLY HELPING FAMILIES
THROUGH THIS BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE
IN THAT SITUATION, HAVING BEEN
IN IT, YOU REALLY NEED A LOT OF
HELP.
AND THIRD, IT'S SIMPLY JUST
DEMYSTIFY SOME OF THE ISSUES
THAT COME UP AS YO BEGIN TO
FACE, I DON'T KNOW, AN AGING
PARENT, A SPOUSE, AND GOD FORBID
A CHILD.
>> ANNA SMITH'S PERFORMANCE,
THAT DRAWS PEOPLE I HOW?
>> ANNA DEVER, HER ONE WOMAN
SHOW DEPICTS SOME PEOPLE GOING
THROUGH, LIKE GOVERNOR ANN
RICHARD WHEN IS SHE GOT CANCER,
PEOPLE GOING THROUGH END OF LIFE
ISSUES AND SHOWING THE STRENGTH
OF SPIRIT BECAUSE AT THE END OF
THE DAY, AND AT THE END OF LIFE,
WHAT YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT IS
LIVING MOST FULLY.
I MEAN, THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT.
SO THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU LOVE
YOUR LIFE AND WHAT YOU LOVE
DOING, HOW DOES END OF LIFE
TREATMENT FIT IN WITH THAT AND
HOW DO YOU INTERACT WITH YOUR
HEALTHCARE PROVIDER?
>> I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE A "NEWSMAKERS"
EXTRA ON THIS.
THERE IS NO WAY WE COULD
ACTUALLY HAVE THE KIND OF
DISCUSSION THAT WE SHOULD HAVE
REALLY WITHIN THE TIME ALLOTTED.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT
DISCUSSION AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO
GET THAT BY GOING TO OUR WEB
SITE, CLICK2HOUSTON.COM.
AND THERE IS A LINK TO THAT WHEN
GO INTO THE -- OPEN THE SHOW,
THE WEB SITE, LOOK INTO THIS
PARTICULAR WEEK, THERE WILL BE A
LINK YOU CAN JUST LINK ON AND GO
TO THAT AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET
MORE ON THIS "NEWSMAKERS" EXTRA
THAT'S GOING TO GO INTO THIS A
LOT MORE IN-DEPTH ABOUT WHAT'S
GOING ON HERE.
IN TERMS OF THE ETHICAL MEDICAL
ETHICAL ISSUES THAT ARE GOING
ON, ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC ABOUT
WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND BEING ABLE
TO PROVIDE SOME REALLY POSITIVE
INSIGHT AND DIRECTION FOR PEOPLE
WHO ARE DEALING WITH THIS?
>> YEAH.
ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK WE GET A LOT OF POSITIVE
FEEDBACK THAT SOMETIMES IT JUST
REQUIRES A THIRD PARTY TO COME
IN AND HELP TO MEDIATE AND TO
REALLY SHIFT THE CONVERSATION
FROM -- IT CAN BE VERY
ADVERSARIAL, PARTICULARLY WHEN
FAMILY MEMBERS DISAGREE ABOUT
WHAT TO DO WITH A LOVED ONE WHEN
PHYSICIANS AND PATIENTS DISAGREE
OR FAMILY MEMBERS DISAGREE.
SO SOMETIMES IT REQUIRES
SOMEBODY COMING IN AND SAYING,
LET'S FOCUS ON WHAT ARE THE
GOALS HERE?
AND WHAT KIND OF LIFE DID THIS
PERSON LEAD?
AND WHAT ARE THEIR VALUES AND
HOW CAN WE MAKE DECISIONS
CONSISTENT WITH THOSE?
>> THIS IS THE START OF THE
CONVERSATION.
AND COMING UP ON TUESDAY, IT'S
CALLED LET ME DOWN EASY WITH
ANNA DEVER SMITH.
HER PERFORMANCE AT 7, FOLLOWED
BY A PANEL DISCUSSION AND DINNER
AT 8 AND 8:30.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN
CALL THE WORTHAM CENTER.
ALSO GO TO MY WEB SITE AND WE'LL
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THAT
INFORMATION THERE.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU'VE
DONE.
AND LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A
SUCCESSFUL, WONDERFUL