Henrietta Lacks and Health Care Leadership

In 1951, a young mother of five named Henrietta Lacks visited The Johns Hopkins Hospital complaining of vaginal bleeding. Upon examination, renowned gynecologist Dr. Howard Jones discovered a large, malignant tumor on her cervix. At the time, The Johns Hopkins Hospital was one of only a few hospitals to treat poor African-Americans. Without notification or consent, they extracted her cells for research in which later didn't help her cervical cancer but went on to help in the development of cures for many other diseases.

Rebecca Skloot wrote the book: Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks in which provided insight on the journey and life of Henrietta Lacks during a time when medical research or treatment was not subjective to the care of the poor black family. In the book, Rebeca sits down and talk with Deborah lacks; Henrietta's daughter later on after her death to discuss writing the book to tell Henrietta's story. Christoph Lengauer was a researcher during the beginning era of the HeLa cells and had a lot of things to share about his research regarding the impact of her cells and the concerns he shared regarding her privacy and consent during this time.

During Skloot and Deborah’s meeting with Christopher Lengauer, there were some emphasis that Henrietta would be a contribution to science and remembered in the medical community. Some people now know that HeLa is short for Henrietta Lacks. I don’t believe Skloot portrays lacks and her family in a negative way and nor were there problematic elements indicated in the book; although I do believe in order for the readers to understand just how Henrietta ended up in that situation, everyone had to understand the lives they lived and the hardships they endured. I also believe that misconceptions were created amongst the family from clinical researchers to lure them into sharing DNA for future research involving Henrietta’s cells. In retrospect to the HeLa cells; Deborah was later told that Lengauer provided a statement via email to Skloot that said; “I felt somehow bad for the lacks family; they deserved better” (Skloot, pg. 234). He also went on to say that although he did not represent Hopkins, he was still somehow apart of them and that he may want to apologize. I believe that Lengauer saw that the outcomes that HeLa provided was not about the research ever; but more so about the life that it initially was supposed to help in which was the reason for the biopsy or extraction to begin with.

(According to Skloot, pg. 63); it was considered “Benevolent Conception”; a time when it was common for patients like Henrietta or of her social status didn’t ask questions. “Doctors held the most fundamental information from their patients, sometimes not given them a diagnosis at all.” The negativity or problematic elements were the misconception that her cells couldn’t help her but later helped so many or that because of her socioeconomic status she didn’t deserve a fair chance at the best treatment. I do believe Lengauer’s quote was correct that it is important to know about Henrietta Lacks because she was a pioneer for change in medical research. Her injustices provided a platform for many laws enacted to be reverberated and for many Health care ethics to hold merit in the privacy of people’s personal health information. Disclosures and informed consent allows patients who are subjects in research the chance to opt out at any given time they feel the need to. People need to know that even in the darkest hour; differences are made and impact the lives of many.

 Henrietta without the knowledge of knowing her fate had to succumb to the outcome of her illness which showcased bravery only because she knew she could not fold under pressure and she had to be the strong one for the Lack’s family. I think people will be able to figure out who HeLa is now because of the ties made to her and HeLa in medicines as well as the historical documents that showcases her lineage. I will say that having little to no knowledge about her capabilities; Henrietta probably wouldn’t have thought that she could make this much of an impact. I think that she would have made a conscious effort to help with her still being alive, but she never would have wanted this in death considering the way that it happened. Learning about Henrietta Lacks story has helped me to be more ethical in leadership because of the lack of awareness her and the family had during that time. Even though laws weren’t really carried out in research medicine at the time; the constitution was a pilar in the world to help cater to her rights a human being.  

“Patients injected with cells not told that they were cancer, scientific experts condemn ethics of cancer injection” (Skloot, pg. 133). Such experts stated that the Nuremberg Code didn’t apply to the United States and that there were no laws protecting research subjects. My ethics as a leader is to make certain others have the understanding of what it is they can subject themselves to and to make certain I am constantly educating myself on ways to learn how to be even more effective at providing patients with information pertaining to the morality within healthcare. Examples that can be used as a healthcare professional to help prevent unethical practices would be to allow the process involving others in healthcare to be led by those who can and will be affected by in in some way. Also remembering that we as healthcare professionals are only to be of support, provide treatment and maintain an unbiased approach so that empathy leads the way quality care is given. Lastly, I would say that passion is a strong influence on ethics and in order for anyone to see the vulnerability in the way a person is subjecting themselves to others; it takes letting guidelines that govern behaviors supersede our own feelings and counteractivities.

Skloot , R. (2010). The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks . New York , New York : Penguin Random House LLC .