The Work of the Hall Center for Law & Health

• Consortium for Health Policy, Law and Bioethics. Three centers at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) share a common research vision, interests and values in areas of the life sciences. The Hall Center for Law and Health, the IU Center for Bioethics, and the IU Center for Health Policy share a commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry and research. Collectively they contain different but complementary skills and expertise in ethics, law and policy. To advance these common interests, the centers have established a consortium for law, bioethics, policy and the life sciences at IUPUI. The Consoritum has been designated a Signature Center by IUPUI.
  Together, they create an innovative and dynamic environment to facilitate research, education, and public policy service on issues in health care, health and science policy, and the life sciences. The consortium is an initiative to enhance the capacity of the three participating centers and to lay the groundwork for other programs and centers to work in areas of common interest.
  Our mission is to provide an innovative, interdisciplinary organizational environment that enhances existing IUPUI/IU capacity in health policy, law and bioethics. The Consortium strives to inform social and public policy in health, facilitate cross-cutting interdisciplinary research, and support current and developing degree and certificate programs. The Consortium furthers its mission through education, research, and public outreach/service functions.
  • Indiana University Health Reform Faculty Study Group. In 2006, the State of Indiana called for the creation of a Health Reform Faculty Study Group, led by the Consortium's directing faculty. The workgroup’s primary product will be a public report outlining alternative strategies to address the future of healthcare delivery in Indiana. The report will include estimates of the costs and associated consequences. Townhall meetings are scheduled throughout the state to allow Hoosiers to express and discuss their ideas and concerns about the future of healthcare in the state. Tentative Schedule of Townhall Meetings
• Public Health Law Program. In 2005, the Center launched its new Public Health Law program to spearhead the Center's growing activities in law and public health. In April 2005 the Center joined forces with the Indiana Partnership to Prevent Violent Injury and Death, a program of the Indiana University School of Medicine and Riley Hospital for Children. This partnership will focus on public health research and scholarship on violent injury and death. The partnership brings together over 40 departments and programs at IU Medical Center, Riley Hospital, professional medical associations, individuals, faith communities and civic and government organizations from around the state.
• Jean Monnet Educational Module on Comparative EU and U.S. Science, Law and Policy in the Regulation of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Technology. In September 2005, the European Union awarded the law school a grant to develop a Jean Monnet Module of Courses on Comparative EU and US Law, Public Policy and Ethics in the Regulation of Research and Development in the Life Sciences, funded by the European Union. This module is a collaboration with the law school's Center on International and Comparative Law and the Indiana University Center for Bioethics. The module also draws on the resources of the law school's Center for Intellectual Property Law and Innovation.
• State Health Law and Policy Initiative. The purpose of this project is to develop innovative programs and strategies for health system reforms. These programs and strategies are implemented and tested in Indiana and intended to serve as models for the nation. Research under this project is primarily empirical and interdisciplinary. The project includes the Center's work on strategies to expand coverage for the working poor, the development of a model Medicaid reform policy for state governments, and a two-year state-wide demonstration of computerized quality improvement strategies for community-based, long-term care funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
• McDonald Merrill Ketcham Lectureship and Award. The McDonald Merrill Ketcham Award is given annually to a leader whose work has touched both professions of law and medicine and constitutes significant contributions to each profession. The Hall Center for Law and Health on behalf of the law school and the Indiana University Center for Bioethics on behalf of the IU School of Medicine decide upon the awardee. The recipient gives a lecture at the law school and grand rounds at the medical school.
• Center Research Projects. The Center's research, organized into two projects, focuses on a variety of critical health law issues. A major goal is to enhance access to necessary health care of high quality for all in need. Research at the Center strives to determine how law and policy can best be reformed to achieve this goal more effectively and humanely. Much of the Center's research has been supported by grants and/or contracts with government agencies, foundations or corporations. Center Reports from these projects can be found at the page for each project, and reprints are available by contacting the Center.
  • Project on Health Care and Public Policy. This project covers a variety of subjects addressing issues of health law and policy at the state, federal and international levels. Much of this research has involved administrative law issues of the health care sector and exploration of the international human right to health. Much of this research is empirical and interdisciplinary and is often supported by grants from foundations and government.
  • Project on Bioethics and Law. This project primarily entails scholarly analysis of critical issues in bioethics and law, with the goals of deepening our theoretical understanding of the issues and developing public policies that enhance the possibilities for fair and just outcomes. Recent topics of study have included physician-assisted suicide, cloning, health care rationing and discrimination against persons with disabilities, financial incentives to limit care, nonprofit corporate theory and organ transplantation and a wide range of family law issues.