Dear Colleagues,
Please join us September 17 and 18 for visiting speaker Sister Michaela Serpa, FSE, Pharm.D., BCPS, presenting to Saint Mary’s Minneapolis and Winona Campuses on ethics in healthcare. This is a collaborative initiative between the Office of the President, the School of Health and Human Services, and the College’s Biology, Chemistry, and Theology/Philosophy departments. On Tuesday morning, Sister Michaela will speak individually to our DNP class of 2026 about Ethical Theories and Medical Ethics in Practice. She will then present to the entire Minneapolis Campus Community at 12:00 p.m. On Wednesday, Sister Michaela will speak to our Winona Campus Community during the weekly Biology and Chemistry lecture held in Aquinas 200 at 12:10 p.m.
Sister Michaela is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID. She is licensed to practice pharmacy in three states, is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist, a member several professional organizations including the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) where she serves on the Ethics in Pharmacy Committee. She is a proud founding member of the newly formed Catholic Pharmacy Association (CaPhA). Sister Michaela received her B.A. Psychology from Carroll College, Helena, MT, an M.A. Theology with emphasis in Bioethics from Holy Apostles College and Seminary, Cromwell, CT in conjunction with a certificate in medical ethics from the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), and her PharmD from Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID. Sister Michaela served as a member of the Adult Ethics Committee at Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Hospital of St. Raphael, New Haven, CT for 12 years. She has taught Pharmacy Law & Ethics courses, was invited to present for the The GIVEN Institute on Ethics in the Workplace: What is mine to do?, and has been invited to speak at Universities, and presented at several Converging Roads medical ethics conferences sponsored by St. John Paul II Foundation.
Campus Event Details:
September 17, 12 p.m. — Minneapolis Campus, University Events Center Banquet East
Ethical theories and medical ethics in practice: Become familiar with different theories in medical ethics and incorporating the Catholic perspective when addressing ethical dilemmas. Sister Michaela will discuss challenges in healthcare access and care for the poor, and how to apply ethical principles to some common ethical dilemmas. Register Here
September 18, 12:10 p.m. — Winona Campus, Aquinas 200
Medical ethics and challenges in access to health care: Explore the concepts of ethics, morals, freedom, and conscience within healthcare. Learn more about challenges in access to healthcare and care for the poor, the difference between refusal of care and conscientious objection, and applying ethical principles to dilemmas in real patient examples. No registration needed.
