Making the Call

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Latest Episodes:

How do I want to die? The ethics of Physician Assisted Death Jul 08, 2020

The Covid 19 pandemic has forced Americans to confront death on a scale that few of us have seen in our lifetimes. As the coronavirus continues to spread, Americans have started to ask themselves questions that are usually reserved for old age. Questions like: How do I want to die? In this episode: Physician Assisted Death - Is it ethical?

Are nursing homes bad for the elderly? Jul 01, 2020

In the United States, more than a third of reported deaths from Covid-19 have occurred in nursing homes, and it’s not hard to guess why. You’ve got old and sick people with multiple chronic conditions living close together in an enclosed space -- ideal for the spread of a deadly virus.

In this episode: How should we care for older people? And what can we learn about elder care and end-of-life care from the Covid-19 pandemic?

Guest Dr. Joanne Lynn

When will it be safe to go back to school? Jun 24, 2020

When you think about the conditions that have been most conducive to the spread of Covid-19 -- prolonged contact with lots of people in enclosed spaces -- colleges and universities have them all.

Students, faculty, and staff had their spring semesters interrupted by the first wave of the pandemic. With fall fast approaching, it’s tempting to go back to business as usual. But the virus may not cooperate. In this episode, we’re taking on higher education. When and how will it really be safe to go back to school?

Should vaccination be mandatory? Jun 17, 2020

Experts agree that once we have a vaccine for Covid-19, we will need the vast majority of the population to take it - enough so we get to herd immunity. But the rise of the anti-vaccine movement has already led to outbreaks of diseases we thought were long gone. And now, in the midst of a global pandemic, the risk of further outbreaks is heightened because parents of young kids are afraid to go to the doctor’s office to get their shots.

Once we finally have a vaccine that’s safe, effective, and available, how do we make sure people actually take it?

Guests: Dr. Linda Goldstein, Rabbi Avi Schnall, Paul Offit

Who will get the vaccine first? Jun 10, 2020

Part two in our 3-part series on vaccines: Manufacturing.

Last month, President Trump announced the beginning of “Operation Warp Speed,” an initiative to develop and produce a vaccine for Covid-19 in record time. But creating a vaccine that’s safe and effective is just the first step in a long and complicated process. Even when we have a vaccine, it’s almost certain that there won’t be enough for everyone. Millions of Americans and billions of people all over the world are going to want this vaccine. Who’s going to get it first?

Guests: Bruce Gellin and Paul Offit

Should we deliberately infect people with Covid-19 to get a vaccine? Jun 03, 2020

Part one of our 3-part series on vaccines: Human Experiments.

Experts say the development of a safe and effective vaccine will take at least a year, maybe a lot longer. What are we willing to risk to speed that up? Thousands of healthy people have already volunteered to be deliberately infected with the Coronavirus in order to test potential vaccines. Is that ethical?

Prison Outbreak: How do we stop Covid-19 from spreading in prisons and jails? May 13, 2020

There are more than two million people locked up across the United States. Whatever they may have done to get there, they haven't been sentenced to death by virus. In this episode: How do we stop Covid-19 from spreading in prisons and jails?

Have comments or questions for Zeke and Jonathan? Contact us here

Do abortions count as "Essential Care"? May 06, 2020

To stop Covid-19 from overwhelming our healthcare system, many states have ordered that any “non-essential” procedures be cancelled or postponed. But some states are using these orders to shut down services that many people feel are medically necessary -- including abortion. In this episode: what exactly counts as “essential” healthcare? And who gets to decide?

Why are more black people dying of Covid 19? And can we solve that? Apr 29, 2020

The virus may not discriminate, but people - and institutions - do. Discrimination in medicine, housing, and food have disproportionately affected the health of African-Americans for generations. In many ways, Covid-19 is just exacerbating these age-old problems.

In this episode: Can we solve the racial disparity in deaths from Covid-19? What can we do to address hundreds of years of inequity in the way we respond to this pandemic?

Who cares for the caregivers? Apr 22, 2020

Everywhere you look, front line medical providers are being praised as “heroes.” Some people are leaning out their windows every night to bang on pots and pans and cheer for them. But is that enough?

In this episode… Who cares for the caregivers? What do we owe as a society to the people putting their lives on the line in the fight against Covid-19?

Can the government force you to stay home? And if so, can enforcement go too far? Apr 15, 2020

With about half a million confirmed cases of Covid-19 across the United States, a lot of people are looking for guidance about how to stay safe and stop the spread of the virus. The message from the federal government has been confusing, to say the least. And each state seems to be doing its own thing. The failure to take decisive action to enforce physical distancing may have deadly consequences. But can enforcement go too far?

Who gets the ventilator? Apr 08, 2020

COVID-19 is overwhelming our healthcare system. As cases increase exponentially across the United States, it’s clear we just don’t have enough resources to go around. Doctors in the United States aren’t used to dealing with scarcity. Now they’re being forced to make tough decisions about rationing care. How do you decide who gets the ventilator, when there aren’t enough for every patient who needs one?

Introducing: Making the Call Apr 02, 2020

As our policy makers, medical experts, and first responders grapple with the choices forced upon us by the novel Coronavirus, doctors and hosts Dr. Zeke Emanuel and Dr. Jonathan Moreno will guide us on the code of ethics that are the backbone of modern medicine. They will answer the key questions raised by COVID – 19 including “How do we decide who gets a ventilator?” “Who, if anyone, can force you to stay home in the interest of public health” and “When there’s a vaccine, who will get it first?”. Join the “architect of the Affordable Care Act” and “the quietly most interesting bioethicist of our time” as they interrogate critical thinking in a time of crisis and show us what it means to be the ones MAKING THE CALL.

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