The Board of Directors for the Anabaptist Center for Healthcare Ethics (ACHE) and representatives from several other organizations met May 10, 2007 in Goshen, Indiana. The purpose of the meeting was to review the short history of ACHE, to highlight the most pressing ethical issues for the constituencies represented, and to consider how best to respond with limited resources.
Rick Stiffney, chairperson of ACHE, said meeting participants decided that after the summer of 2007, the sponsoring organizations will work in a new way to advance their healthcare ethics agenda.
During the last six years, ACHE was first led by George Stoltzfus, and more recently Joe Kotva has provided primary leadership. Stiffney said that both Stoltzfus and Kotva played significant roles in helping to identify emerging ethical questions related to healthcare and in presenting possible ways for Anabaptists to respond.
Kotva devoted substantial time to the development of the Healing Healthcare study guide. He also helped articulate public policy principles that are important to the Mennonite Church USA initiative in healthcare ethics.
In looking to the future, Stiffney said, “Important work remains on issues such as healthcare access, end-of-life decision-making, and stewardship of medical resources. However, given tight budgetary limitations, we need to carry work forward in a more agile manner, with minimal staffing.”
Joe Kotva’s work as executive director of ACHE will conclude May 31, 2007.
Stiffney said that a steering consortium will be formed to give oversight for coordinating project work across multiple agencies. The consortium will conceptualize projects, arrange up-front funding, and focus on desirable outcomes in response to perceived needs among Anabaptist members.
According to Stiffney, participants at the May 10 meeting agreed that they dream about a future time when a broader Anabaptist center for professional healthcare ethics will become a reality.
