The Aquinas College School of Nursing announced Monday the founding of the Center for the Study of Human Dignity and Ethics in Health Care.

“While the need for this center is decades old, the timing of its launch, in relation to the continued draconian changes in health care today and in the future is providential,” Brother Ignatius Perkins (pictured), the School of Nursing’s dean, said in a release.

The center has been founded to do the following: 

* Provide community-wide educational opportunities for health care professionals, civic leaders, legislators and citizens of the community (seminars, multi-disciplinary forums, etc.) that address current issues in health care, education, administration and scholarship;

* Provide consultation, conduct research and disseminate findings;

* Build collaborative partnerships with the health care community locally, nationally and internationally;

* Provide forums for presentations by visiting scholars;

* Develop model learning outcomes for students in the health professions;

* Honor members of the health professions and the community who have distinguished achievements in defending and protecting the dignity and flourishing of the human person.