William S. Andereck, M.D.
Co-Founder and Senior Scholar
In the early 1980s, Dr. Andereck studied with Albert Jonsen, Ph.D., then professor of Bioethics at UCSF and with whom he co-founded Sutter Health’s Program in Medicine and Human Values (PMHV).
Ruchika Mishra, Ph.D.
Program Director
Dr. Mishra joined PMHV after completing a Bioethics Fellowship at CPMC. She received her Ph.D. in Philosophy, specializing in Medical Ethics, from the University of Leeds, England, where she also obtained a Masters in Health Care Ethics. Dr. Mishra currently edits the Ethics Committees and Consultants at Work section for the Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics.
Albert R. Jonsen, Ph.D.
Senior Bioethics Scholar-in-Residence Emeritus
Dr. Jonsen co-founded Sutter Health’s Program in Medicine and Human Values with Dr. William Andereck. He was a pioneer and one of the founders of the field of Bioethics. He served as Commissioner on the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research (1974-1978) that led to the writing of the Belmont Report, the statement of ethical principles guiding research ethics. He also served on The President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine (1979-1982), which produced the influential definition of death that became the foundation of a model legislation in the United States. Prior to co-founding PMHV, he held several academic positions, including Chairman of the Department of Medical History and Ethics at the University of Washington, Chief of the Division of Medical Ethics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, and President of the University of San Francisco. Dr. Jonsen authored Clinical Ethics (McGraw Hill, forthcoming 9th ed.) and contributed to several books and journal articles on medicine and bioethics. He died at his home in San Francisco in 2020.
Jennifer Chan MS, OTR/L
Clinical Ethicist
Ms. Chan joined PMHV after completing the Medical Ethics Fellowship at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, NY where she focused her interests on ethical issues in adolescent mental health. She studied bioethics at Hofstra University and earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University at Buffalo in New York. She has clinical experience working in both physical disability and mental health settings throughout the country. Ms. Chan brings direct patient care experience and a unique understanding of the intersectionality between biopsychosocial factors and their impact on health, illness, and healthcare delivery to her work.
Kristina Celeste Fong, M.A.
Clinical Ethics Fellow
Ms. Fong is the program’s new Clinical Ethics Fellow at CPMC. She received her master’s degree in Bioethics from Emory University. Prior to joining Sutter Health, she worked as a research coordinator at the University of California, San Francisco conducting work in neuroethics. She has co-authored several bioethics and neuroethics publications in the American Journal of Bioethics, AJOB Neuroethics, and Frontiers in Neurology.
John W. Frye III, Ph.D.
Clinical Ethicist
Dr. Frye joined PMHV after completing a Clinical Ethics Fellowship at UCLA Medical Center. He received his Ph.D. in Bioethics from Case Western Reserve University, and Masters in both Bioethics and Theological Studies from Loyola Marymount University. In the past, he has taught classes at Loyola Marymount, University of Akron, and Case Western Reserve. Before starting at PMHV, Dr. Frye served as an ethics consultant at University Hospitals in Cleveland, and performed independent ethics assessments for hospitals in California.
Robert J. Fulbright, J.D., M.A.
Senior Clinical Ethicist
Mr. Fulbright completed a Clinical Ethics Fellowship at CPMC. He has a master's degree in Biomedical and Health Care Ethics from the University of Leeds, UK and a J.D. from the University of Kansas. After completing his fellowship, he worked as a Clinical Ethicist for Sutter Health and then as Bioethics Program Director for Renown Health in Reno, Nevada. He has also worked as a compliance manager and privacy officer for multiple Sutter Health affiliates. Mr. Fulbright brings a background in law and healthcare policy to his work.
Kelsey Gipe, Ph.D.
Clinical Ethicist
Dr. Gipe joined our team as a Bioethicist after completing our program’s Clinical Ethics Fellowship at CPMC. She holds a Ph.D in Philosophy from the University of Maryland, College Park. Before joining PMHV, Dr. Gipe worked as a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at University of Maryland where she taught several philosophy courses. Dr. Gipe has been actively involved with bioethics education for physicians, nurses, and social workers.
Shaylona Kirk, M.D., MPH
Clinical Ethicist
Dr. Kirk completed her Clinical Ethics Fellowship with PMHV at CPMC. She received a medical degree from University of Arizona College of Medicine and has master’s degrees in Biomedical and Health Ethics and Public Health from Arizona State University and University of Florida respectively. After completing her fellowship with our program, she worked as a Clinical Ethicist at Sutter Health followed by a brief time in Japan. She brings an emphasis on preventive ethics, enhancing education, and improved patient-centered communication skills to her work.
Sarah K. Sawicki, Ph.D.
Clinical Ethicist
Dr. Sawicki comes to Sutter Health from the University of Alabama-Birmingham Hospital where she worked as a clinical ethics consultant. She completed her PhD. in healthcare ethics with a concentration in clinical ethics at Saint Louis University. She has a master’s degree in bioethics from Trinity International University. She also has taught undergraduate courses at Saint Louis University.
Shilpa Shashidhara, Ph.D.
Senior Clinical Ethicist
Dr. Shashidhara received her Ph.D. in Applied Gerontology from the University of North Texas and her Masters in Bioethics and Medical Humanities from the University of South Florida. Prior to joining PMHV, she served as a Clinical Ethicist and Coordinator for the Southern & Central Illinois Advisory Group for Ethics (SAGE) for Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Illinois, and was Adjunct Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of North Texas.
Thomasine Kushner, Ph.D.
Bioethicist
Dr. Kushner edits the Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. She organizes and coordinates three annual bioethics meetings: Neuroethics Network, International Bioethics Retreat, and Cambridge Consortium for Bioethics Education. Dr. Kushner supports professional development for PMHV bioethicists and fellows. She has a PhD in Philosophy.
Antonio T. Kruger
Administrator
Mr. Kruger is a Bay Area native and has been with PMHV since 2005. As Administrator, he handles administrative inquiries and requests. He is the point person for the annual Summer Workshop in Clinical Ethics and provides administrative support to the program's bioethics team at the Sutter level. He also handles organizational duties related to CPMC’s ethics committee. Email Antonio Kruger.