Over Seventy Law, Public Health and Medical Students Come Together from Several Universities to Create Interdisciplinary Teams to Discuss Ebola Crisis

Over 70 law, public health and medical students joined together to discuss the Ebola crisis in the first inter-professional class held between Akron Law, NEOMED and CEOMPH held this past Saturday, October 4. 

The students attended via web video conferencing classrooms located at University of Akron, Cleveland State University, Ohio University, and Youngstown State.

The afternoon-long session explored the legal, ethical and medical issues arising out of a hypothetical outbreak of Ebola involving 200 individuals in Northern Ohio. There were short presentations and a panel discussion by faculty to introduce the problem. Then, the students held lively discussions in break-out sessions involving inter-professional teams of medical students, physicians, public health professional students and the law students who are part of the Health Law Certificate Program at Akron Law.  

Faculty presenters and panelists included the following:

• Dr. Julie Aultman, who is an Adjunct Professor in Akron Law's Health Law Certificate Program and who is also an Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine and Director for the Bioethics Certificate Program at the Northeast Ohio Medical University
• Professor Katharine Van Tassel, who is a Professor of Law and is the Director of the Public Health Law & Science Center and Health law Programs at the University of Akron School of Law
• Dr. Amy Lee, who is the Program Director for the Consortium of Eastern Ohio Master of Public Health Program (a partnership of The University of Akron, Cleveland State University, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Ohio University, and Youngstown State University) and who is also a Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical University
• Dr. Michelle Chyatte, who is an Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical University