Koop, worried that medicine had lost old-fashioned caring and personal relationships between doctors and patients, opened an institute at Dartmouth to teach medical students basic values and ethics.

WSJ: Koop, who transformed surgeon general post, dies

This new chapter in the story of a woman long dead continues to teach us about medical ethics and about our societal values.

FORBES: The Frontiers Of Medical Privacy

Studies indicate as many as 40% of patients with serious illnesses like cancer struggle with spiritual concerns, which can harm emotional and physical well-being, says George Fitchett, research director in the Department of Religion, Health and Human Values at Rush University Medical Center Chicago.

WSJ: Hospital Chaplains Seek Bigger Roles on Patient Medical Teams

We must hold our health care system accountable to the goal that medical decisions should reflect patient informed goals and values.

CNN: Give patients end-of-life options

Was Mr Gardner's speech, attacking the distorted values of American society that forced him to abandon his old job selling useful medical equipment, mistakenly left on the cutting room floor?

ECONOMIST: Are you, or have you ever been, a capitalist?