Dr. Alyson Capp, PhD

Gundersen Health System and the Gundersen Medical Foundation are donating $5,000 towards a biothetics group formed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its ethical challenges.

Bioethics Network of the Upper Midwest (BENUM) supports healthcare entities, medical providers, members of the public and bioethicists in advancing health equity, with current members including health systems in Wisconsin, medical schools in the region and state government.

“The pandemic has been an unprecedented time in human history, as such, our mission – to foster, promote and share best practices in health care ethics through education, research and public engagement – became vital work in support of our health care providers and local communities.”

Dr. Stephen Shapiro of Gundersen Medical Foundation says the pandemic has highlighted the importance of groups like BENUM, calling the concept “easy to support.”