Dr. Byock is a former president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and has been involved in hospice and palliative care for over 20 years. He is the former chair of the Ethics Committee for the AAHPM and in 1995 was named Person of the Year by the National Hospice Organization. The author of "Dying Well: The Prospect for Growth at the End of Life," Dr. Byock has appeared on "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," "Nightline," "CNN Today" and National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."

Myra Christopher, President of the Midwest BioEthics Center, and National Program Officer for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Community-State Partnerships to Improve End-of-Life Care

Ms. Christopher consults frequently with hospitals, health plans and integrated systems on clinical and organizational ethics and has acted as a consultant to former Sen. John Danforth (R-MO) in the drafting of the Patient Self-Determination Act. In 1999, Ms. Christopher was named Public Citizen of the Year by the Missouri and Kansas Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

Dr. Emanuel has published and lectured extensively on the practice of clinical ethics, including advance directives, genetic screening, the definition of death and the patient-physician relationship. Prior to joining the AMA, she acted as the assistant director, Division of Medical Ethics and as a Glessner Lee Associate Professor of Medical Ethics at Harvard Medical School.

The Rev. Wayne Muller, Senior Scholar of the Fetzer Institute, therapist and author of "Sabbath," "How, Then, Shall We Live?," and "Legacy of the Heart"

Rev. Muller is the founder of Bread for the Journey, a non-profit organization that promotes service in underprivileged communities.

Frank Ostaseski, Director of the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco, CA

Building on his 15 years of service in hospice care, Mr. Ostaseski provides regular workshops and retreats for caregivers and those facing life with a threatening illness. He is currently working on a book, "A Compassionate Companion."

Dr. Richard Payne, Chief of Pain and Palliative Care Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Recognized as one of the world's leading experts on palliative care and pain management, Dr. Payne works with a multidisciplinary team made up of neurologists and experts in physical rehabilitation and functional magnetic resonance imaging to provide the optimum quality of life for cancer patients. His research interests focus on the clinical pharmacology of analgesic drugs and the preclinical evaluation of new analgesic agents.

Edwina Taylor, C.R.N.P., Palliative Care Specialist at Cooper Green Hospital in Birmingham, AL

As co-director of Cooper Green Hospital's Balm of Gilead palliative care program, Ms. Taylor, a nurse with more than 28 years of experience in hematology-oncology, works at the forefront of the campaign to bring palliative and hospice care to underprivileged communities.

Videconference Moderator: Mary Alice Williams

Emmy-award-winning journalist Mary Alice Williams brings to the panel more than 25 years of experience in broadcast journalism as an anchor and correspondent for NBC and CNN. She can be seen on PBS as a contributing correspondent for "Religious and Ethics Newsweekly." Ms. Williams is noted for her television specials on children, women and families, and is the host of the Odyssey Channel's nightly interview program, "Quiet Triumphs."