Meet the PMHV Bioethics Team

William S. Andereck, M.D.

Medical Director and Senior Scholar

Dr. Andereck has practiced internal medicine in San Francisco since 1979. He received his B.A. at Vanderbilt University and his M.D. from the University of Tennessee, where he was introduced to medical ethics by Drs. Edmund Pellegrino and David Thomasma. In the early 1980s, he 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). Email Dr. Andereck.

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. Email Dr. Mishra.

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.

Alexander Duvoisin, J.D., M.A.

Clinical Ethics Fellow

Mr. Duvoisin is the current Clinical Ethics Fellow at CPMC. He has a master's degree in Bioethics from Loyola Marymount University and a J.D. from UC Hastings. Before joining PMHV, he held internships in bioethics and law at Kaiser Permanente and the Veterans Affairs hospital in Los Angeles.

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. Email Dr. Frye.

Robert J. Fulbright, J.D., M.A.

Senior Clinical Bioethicist

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 Bioethicist 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. Email Robert Fulbright.

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. Email Dr. Gipe.

Sarah W. Sawicki, Ph.D.(c)

Clinical Ethicist

Ms. Sawicki comes to Sutter Health from the University of Alabama-Birmingham Hospital where she worked as a clinical ethics consultant. She’s currently pursuing a Ph.D. 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. Email Dr. Sawicki

Shilpa Shashidhara, Ph.D.

Senior Clinical Bioethicist

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. Email Dr. Shashidhara.

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. Email Dr. Kushner.

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.

Meet the PMHV Bioethics Team

William S. Andereck, M.D.

Ruchika Mishra, Ph.D.

Albert R. Jonsen, Ph.D.

Alexander Duvoisin, J.D., M.A.

John W. Frye III, Ph.D.

Robert J. Fulbright, J.D., M.A.

Kelsey Gipe, Ph.D.

Sarah W. Sawicki, Ph.D.(c)

Shilpa Shashidhara, Ph.D.

Thomasine Kushner, Ph.D.

Antonio T. Kruger

Connect with a Professional Bioethicist

Call our Ethics Hotline (415) 600-3991 or email ethics@sutterhealth.org.

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