William Danforth joins medical experts to discuss ‘Medicine & Society’

As part of Washington University’s celebration of the Danforth Campus dedication, and to underscore the important role of higher education in society, a lecture series will debut on October 3. The first presentation, “Medicine & Society,” will feature Chancellor Emeritus William H. Danforth, M.D. He will be joined by leading St. Louis medical and health policy experts at 4 p.m. Tuesday, October 3, in Graham Chapel. The event is free and open to the public, and will conclude with a reception in the Women’s Building Lounge.

Danforth will begin the program with remarks regarding the critical need for educating future medical practitioners and for advancing medical research and patient care. He will be accompanied on stage by Steven Lipstein, M.H.A., president and chief executive officer of BJC Healthcare, and Larry Shapiro, M.D., executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, and dean, Washington University School of Medicine; who will add their perspectives on the subject. Bradley Stoner, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences and associate professor in the School of Medicine, will moderate. Time will be reserved for questions from the audience.

Before serving as chancellor of Washington University in 1971, Danforth was vice chancellor for medical affairs in the School of Medicine. He joined the University in 1957 as a member of the medical faculty. After 24 years as chancellor, he retired in 1995. Upon his retirement, he served as chairman of the Board of Trustees, and he currently is chairman emeritus.

Lipstein has led BJC HealthCare for seven years. BJC delivers patient care through its 13 hospitals and other health service facilities, and partners with Washington University through its teaching hospitals. His long-standing leadership in key healthcare administration positions began at hospitals for the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins University Medical Center.

Shapiro has been internationally recognized for his contributions in human genetics, molecular biology, and biochemistry. His career as a pediatric geneticist began more than 30 years ago. He joined Washington University after leading the academic pediatric department at the University of California, San Francisco.

Stoner joined Washington University in 1995. His research focuses on the clinical epidemiology of sexually transmitted diseases, and the socio-cultural factors that influence infectious disease risk in human populations. He is also chief of STD Services in St. Louis County’s Department of Health, and directs the St. Louis STD/HIV Prevention Training Center.

The series’ overarching theme is the university’s role in society as an institution with “A Higher Sense of Purpose,” and it continues with succeeding events on October 16 and November 13 – all free and all held at 4 p.m. in Graham Chapel. The future programs are: “Faith & Politics,” a talk by the Honorable John C. Danforth, former U.S. senator, ordained Episcopal minister, and partner with Bryan Cave law firm, on Monday, October 16; and “The Social Responsibility of Business,” featuring P.Roy Vagelos, former chairman and chief executive officer of Merck & Co., and other Washington University-associated business experts.

For more details about the Danforth Campus Dedication Lecture Series, call 314-935-5285 or visit the Web site at danforthcampus.wustl.edu.