May Has Been Epic for The Ethics Institute and Overlook Medical Center

May has been an exciting month for ethics at Kent Place’s Ethics Institute and at Overlook Medical Center. 

On May 20, KPS Bioethics Project students presented their research at a symposium to an audience of students, faculty, administrators, and parents. Everyone agreed that the students did an outstanding job.  

A week later, on May 27, the Overlook Medical Center Healthcare Ethics Committee hosted an evening meeting for all hospital staff and local residents. Sponsored by President Stephanie Schwartz, FACHE, and Overlook Foundation Chief Philanthropy Officer Clelia Biamonti, the event highlighted bioethics education at the Ethics Institute and at the Academy for Allied Health Sciences, in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.

A key feature of the meeting was the prestigious Kerwin Lectures, named in honor of Jeanne Kerwin, a distinguished bioethicist whose contributions to Overlook Medical Center, Atlantic Health System, and the Ethics Institute have been invaluable. A former chair of Overlook’s Ethics Committee and manager of Palliative Care and Ethics for Atlantic Health System, Dr. Kerwin has provided bedside ethics and palliative-care consultations to hundreds of patients, families, and medical staff. She has led bioethics training initiatives for emergency responders, long-term care staff, eating-disorder treatment centers, and the intellectual/developmental disability community. Dr. Kerwin also serves as cochair of the Ethics Service for the Academy of Aid-in-Dying Medicine and is a sought-after speaker on medical ethics and palliative-care issues.

At the Ethics Institute, Dr. Kerwin challenges students with compelling cases exploring patients’ experiences in “liminal spaces,” where medical advancements can prolong but not always enhance life. Her work helps students grasp how clinical ethicists guide patients and families through complex medical decisions.

This year, we recognized Bioethics Project Scholars Claire Cherill ’26 and Brooke Dambrot ’26 as Kerwin Lecturers. Brooke investigated the ethical implications of allowing patients with severe anorexia nervosa to access Medical Aid in Dying; Claire examined the challenges of enrolling Alzheimer’s patients in clinical research trials.

We’re grateful for Dr. Kerwin’s immense contributions to the Ethics Institute, Overlook Medical Center and Atlantic Health System, and national bioethics practice, and we applaud Claire and Brooke on their designation as Kerwin Lecturers.

Bioethicist in Residence, Lisa Goldman