Introduction: Symposium on the 10th Anniversary of the Health Law Certificate Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Law

Abstract

In his introduction to the University of Pittsburgh School of Law symposium recognizing the 10th anniversary of its Health Law Certificate Program, Alan Meisel, program founder, Professor of Law and Dickie, McCamey and Chilcote Professor of Bioethics, considers the evolution of the medical profession, modern medicine, and modern hospitals in America. Prof. Meisel also reflects on the array of topics each speaker addressed at the event, including: the role of the modern charitable tax-exempt hospital; whether it’s time to modify the IRS “community benefit” standard for granting tax exemptions to hospitals; the effect of charitable sector scandals and abuses on public trust in and donations to charitable organizations; current and coming changes in IRS treatment of non-profit hospitals and other health care providers; and existing and emerging questions that result as non-profit and for profit hospitals become more and more alike.

Keywords: medical profession, history, health care providers, charitable organizations, tax-exempt status, non-profit hospitals, bioethics, health law, certificate programs