Ethics Paper

To: Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center

CC: Peer Review Committee and Board

From: Dr. Antonio Harris, Lead Transplant Surgeon

Re: Heart Transplant

Date: 04/03/2015

The purpose of this memorandum is to inform you that the recipient of the heart transplant has been chosen. I will define here the procedure adopted for such decision and assessment. Though, it can be said that time frame in which we have to make this kind of life transforming decision was really brief, but the judgment was made according to moral, professional and ethical preferences. 

In the case there were three candidates who all required a heart transplant. The first patient is a 55-year-old male named Jerry who is a husband to his stay at home wife and also a father of 3 children ages 14, 16, and 19. The patient is a mid-level manager at a carpet disturbing business and is set to retire in 5 years. His heart was damaged in his 20’s due to the use of steroids while bodybuilding, unfortunately at the time the risk associated with steroids were unidentified. With the transplant the patient could live approximately 10-15 years.

The second patient is a 12-year-old young girl named Lisa. Her father is Dr. Jonathan Doe who is an upcoming Oncologist. The patient is the only child to Dr. Doe and his wife, as they can no longer bear any more children. Dr. Doe is offering to donate $2 million dollars to the hospital if the heart transplant is given to her immediately. The patient has had health problems all her life due to a range of viral illnesses and lupus-like immune deficiency. Due to a cruel attack of pneumonia her heart was harmed, and even stopped working for a short time. If she gets the transplant her survival are slim as she may not make it to her twenties.

Last is a 38-year-old male named Ozzy, who is without a roof over his head and is a previous drug addict of crack cocaine. Due to the regular use of crack cocaine, and overdosing, his heart is no longer in normal condition. Due to...