Arizona Bioethics Network
Creating a space to explore ethical issues and share knowledge and skills across an extended network.
Our Current Focus
Provide ethics resources with particular attention to those affecting Arizonans.
Foster the work and use of ethics committees in health care and biomedical research settings.
Focus on the role of leadership, preventive ethics, and conflict management in ethical decision-making.
Mission
Arizona Bioethics Network (ABN) is dedicated to increasing the understanding of bioethical issues. ABN provides access to resources, offers educational programs, and provides networking opportunities with the goal of improving the health and quality of life for individuals and across communities.
Values
Innovation – Explore change and creatively engage with dynamic bioethical challenges
Integrity – Commit to honest and inclusive principles of practice in the care of individuals and communities
Quality – Deliver leading edge programs and services
Collaboration – Create a network to enhance collaboration within the community
Inclusion – Provide opportunities on a broad spectrum to enhance perspective with regard for the diversity of constituencies we serve
Webinars & Events
ABN hosts regular webinar series addressing a wide variety of topics in bioethics and health law.
These webinars are free and take place on the third Wednesday of the month.
Wednesday, November 18th, 2026 – 4:00 PM (Arizona)
First Do No Harm: Gender Dysphoria in Youth
Michelle Cretella, MD
Co-chair Adolescent Health Committee, American College of Pediatricians
This webinar will review the arguments for and against gender affirming care versus psychological assessment and therapy as the first line standard of care for gender dysphoria in youth.
Participants will be able to:
- Distinguish between sex and gender identity
- Apply the principle of first do no harm to the debate over best firstline treatment for gender dysphoria
- Discuss the pros and cons of treating gender dysphoria medically
- Discuss the pros and cons of treating gender dysphoria psychotherapeutically
Michelle A. Cretella, MD is a pediatrician, researcher, educator, writer and speaker. She is the past executive director of the American College of Pediatricians and is the current Chair of its Adolescent Health Committee. She serves as a pediatric spokesperson and educator for the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and the Catholic Medical Association. She is also on the board of directors of Advocates Protecting Children and of the John Paul II Academy for Human Life and the Family, and is a member of the Medical Division of the Alliance for Therapeutic Choice. Dr. Cretella is a peer reviewer for the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Issues in Law and Medicine, and the International Journal of Behavioural and Healthcare Research.
Dr. Cretella received her medical degree in 1994 from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. She completed her internship and residency in pediatrics in 1997 at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, Connecticut. She completed a fellowship in College Health through the University of Virginia in 1999. Dr. Cretella practiced pediatrics with a special interest in behavioral health from 1999-2012. She left clinical pediatric practice in 2012 to work for the American College of Pediatricians and devote more time to her family. Dr. Cretella and her husband are the proud parents of four grown children.
Register
Future Webinars (Check back each month form more information):
Upcoming Events
Check back for information regarding the next ABN Conference in 2027.
In-Kind Support
We are an independent 501c3 organization and we couldn’t make it without support from our members and the organizations that have given us in-kind donations. Please consider making a donation.
In-Kind Support
We are an independent 501c3 organization and we couldn’t make it without support from our members and the organizations that have given us in-kind donations. Please consider making a donation.
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