The Association for Medical Ethics Honors Medical Investigative Journalist John Fauber of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is the First Award Recipient
The Association for Medical Ethics (AME) is honoring John Fauber, medical investigative reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and its partner MedPage Today, for his in-depth reportage exposing the troubling influence of drug and medical device company money on medical research and the practice of medicine. Fauber is the first recipient of the Association for Medical Ethics Award for Outstanding Achievement in Journalism and Advancing Transparency in Medicine.
Fauber’s investigations exemplify the mission of the Association for Medical Ethics, a group of physicians from every specialty dedicated to increasing public awareness of financial transparency in medical research and the use of evidence-based medicine with the ultimate goal to better patient care and safety. Fauber’s work has uncovered financial conflicts such as physician researchers paid by drug and medical device companies for clinical testing to obtain FDA approval and medical device companies concealing evidence of poor outcomes in clinical trials, which has resulted in the releasing of unsafe devices marketed to physicians and implanted in patients.
“The purpose of the award is to recognize the highest level of disclosure and professionalism in taking on these important issues, which are only infrequently addressed in the media,” said Charles Burton, president of AME. “John Fauber’s relentless investigating and dedication to review thousands of medical documents, research and scientific papers, and internal corporate communication to document corruption represents, in our opinion, the essence of journalistic excellence.”
AME has resembled a modern day re-incarnation of the David and Goliath story in its efforts to assist in driving the passing of the Physicians Payments Sunshine Act. Likewise, AME sees a corollary in Fauber’s iron-willed investigative reporting published in the series “Side Effects” launched in 2009. With intense scrutiny,
Fauber has followed the drug and medical device industry’s money permeating research, clinical trials, medical publishing, government regulation, marketing to surgeons, physician education and patient care. As a veteran investigative reporter, Fauber has served as a watchdog for 35 years. Since 2010, Fauber's investigations also have been published in MedPage Today, a national medical news web site. Around 1995, he moved from business reporting into health and medicine and science reporting at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
AME will present this lifetime achievement award to Fauber at the Association of Medical Ethics Symposium Under the Influence – Medicine in the Post Physician Payment Sunshine Act World – Changes, Challenges and Confusion to be held in association with the University of California, Irvine, from 1 pm to 5 pm on Friday, February 28, 2014 at the Beckman Center in Irvine, Calif., with a cocktail reception to follow. The symposium will feature physicians, researchers, attorneys and medical industry professionals as they present and discuss the latest information on state of medicine today and in the future, as the implementation of the Physician Payment Sunshine Act impacts the medical community. For more information and to register, http://www.ethicaldoctor.org/symposium.
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CONTACT: To arrange for interviews with AME or for more information, please contact: Shelle Murach, Association for Medical Ethics, (714) 206-4138, shelle@ethicaldoctor.org
CONTACT: To arrange for interviews with AME or for more information, please contact: Shelle Murach, Association for Medical Ethics, (714) 206-4138, shelle@ethicaldoctor.org
The Association for Medical Ethics
www.EthicalDoctor.org
