Miller Lecture 2004The 2004 Arthur Miller Lecture on Science and Ethics is sponsored annually by the Program in Science, Technology, and Society. It is named for Arthur Miller, a distinguished alumnus noted for his many contributions to electronic measurement and instrumentation, especially in the area of medical technology (for example, he invented methods to reduce shock hazards in hospital monitoring systems). His family created this lectureship some years ago because it witnesses his lifelong interest in the ethical use of science.
This year the topic of the lecture emerged from a suggestion by Dianne Wolman, Arthur Miller's daughter and a Senior Program Officer at the Institute of Medicine. For the past four years, she served as co-director of an IOM project on the Consequences of Uninsurance. (The committee's final report was released on January 14, 2004). One of the key members of the project's committee was James Mongan, M.D. professor at the Harvard Medical School and CEO of Partners HealthCare, an academic medical partnership consisting of nine hospitals (including Massachusetts General Hospital, of which Dr. Mongan was president from 1996-2002), neighborhood clinics, the largest hospital-based research center in the US, and a vigorous teaching program. As a result, Dr. Mongan was invited to speak at MIT as the 2004 Miller Lecturer on Science and Ethics.
Ever since the 1970s, when he worked in Washington D.C. on health care policy, Dr. Mongan has been a courageous advocate of universal health coverage in the United States. His 2004 Miller Lecture explains, with both clarity and passion, why he is convinced this is an ethical as well as a political and financial challenge for our nation. Click here for the complete lecture
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