Coastal Carolina University professors Phillip Schneider and John Yannessa will lead a discussion titled "Pandemic Ethics: Is Providing Healthcare an Obligation?" on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 4:30 p.m. in room 246 of the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts building.

The program will be repeated at the Waccamaw Higher Education Center on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 6 p.m.

The event is part of the Edward College's "Tea and Ethics" series, which is free and open to the public. Complimentary tea and cookies will be served.

The following questions will be discussed: How has our healthcare system handled the HIV pandemic? Should HIV patients be treated differently than those with less stigmatized illnesses, such as diabetes? Will our healthcare system be able to handle future pandemics such as the predicted avian flu pandemic? How will our system react to possibly hundreds of millions of people in need of healthcare? How should it respond in such a situation?

Phillip Schneider is a professor emeritus of philosophy and religion at Coastal. He earned bachelor's degrees in mathematics, engineered physics and philosophy from Cornell University, and doctorate degrees in philosophy and statistics from Duke University.

John Yannessa is an assistant professor of health promotions at Coastal. He earned a doctorate degree in health behavior from Indiana University and his areas of study include psychosocial issues surrounding HIV infection, HIV and positive living, complementary medicine and healthcare disparities.

The discussion is sponsored by Coastal's Jackson Family Center for Ethics and Values. The purpose of the center is to cultivate and promote awareness in the community of the importance of personal and professional integrity. The center sponsors scholarships and visiting scholars as well as public discussion forums on ethical issues in science, business, education, and the arts and humanities. For more information, contact the director of the center, Claudia McCollough, at 349-2440.