Herbert Viefhues

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Herbert Viefhues (born January 26, 1920 in Dorsten ; †  March 8, 2004 in Bochum ) was a German psychiatrist and full professor of social medicine, medical sociology and medical ethics at the Ruhr University in Bochum. He was a co-founder of the Academy for Ethics in Medicine eV and the Bochum Center for Medical Ethics eV, a pioneer of German social medicine and bioethics.

Life

After studying medicine (1939 to 1944) and training as a neurologist and psychiatrist, among others with Ernst Kretschmer , Viefhues worked in clinical practice for 14 years, first as a government medical advisor at the Wiesloch / Heidelberg regional hospital and later as a regional medical advisor at the Bonn regional hospital. In 1960 Viefhues completed a degree in social medicine with the DMSA degree as a WHO fellow at the University of Edinburgh and in 1962 moved to hospital administration as director of the city of Cologne's hospitals. From 1969 to 1970 he worked as the city medical director at the Cologne Health Department and in 1971 became a professor for social medicine at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences. From April 2, 1973, Viefhues held the chair for social medicine at the Ruhr University in Bochum, which he held until his retirement in February 1985. From 1980 to 1982 he was dean of the local medical faculty. On September 21, 1983, he received the Federal Cross of Merit, First Class.

Services

Against the background of his early social psychiatric interest, his publications contributed to the development of traditional hospital care into modern hospital social work. The German Association for Social Work in Health Care (DVSG) made Viefhues an honorary member due to his longstanding commitment to hospital social work.

As President of the German Society for Social Medicine and Prevention (1981–1990) he was particularly committed to the introduction of the additional designation social medicine, which was decided in 1984 at the 87th German Medical Congress and included in the further education regulations of the federal states. In 1990 the society awarded him the Salomon Neumann Medal for special services to preventive and social medicine.

As a professor at the University of Bochum, together with the philosopher Hans-Martin Sass , he initiated the establishment of the Center for Medical Ethics at the Ruhr University (1986), an interdisciplinary forum in which physicians, philosophers, theologians and psychologists discussed biomedical issues. Through the publication of the Bochum medical ethical materials, among other things, the center became a pioneering institution for bioethics in Germany. The Bochum medical ethical work sheet for medical ethical practice was translated into several languages ​​and received internationally.

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Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Dtsch Arztebl. 101 (15), 2004, pp. A-1040 / B-864 / C-840 VARIA: Personal data.
  2. ↑ Pioneer of German bioethics has passed away. RUB mourns the loss of Prof. Herbert Viefhues. Ruhr University Bochum, press release 75, March 11, 2004.
  3. ↑ Social work in health care. In: Intelligence Service of the German Association for Public and Private Health Care. 46, 1966, pp. 67-72.
  4. ↑ Elisabeth Lier: Hospital social work in the field of tension between professional ethical self-image and economic outside determination. GRIN Verlag, 2007, p. 19.
  5. ↑ Peter Reinicke: Integrated care was one of his visions. Honorary member Prof. Dr. med. Herbert Viefhues passed away. In: Forum Social Work + Health. 3/2004, p. 40.
  6. ↑ DGSMP, award winner
  7. ^ Regina Bannert: work book medical ethics. Volume I, LIT Verlag, Berlin / Hamburg / Münster 2005, p. 450.
personal data
SURNAME Viefhues, Herbert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German psychiatrist and university professor
DATE OF BIRTH January 26, 1920
PLACE OF BIRTH Dorsten
DATE OF DEATH March 8, 2004
Place of death Bochum