Ethics Committee

Contacts

Administration: Laura Torntore
Chair: Robert Boyle, M.D.

Charge

The Ethics Committee is an interdisciplinary committee charged with assisting leadership in ensuring consistency between mission and values, organizational behaviors and clinical practice. It has three primary functions, which include conducting education on ethical issues, recommending policies that are ethically important, and conducting case reviews with respect to ethical issues.

Membership: Representatives from the Clinical Staff, Nursing Staff, faculty of the School of Nursing, the Center for Biomedical Ethics, Chaplaincy Department, Social Work, Medical Center Administration, Community Member. The Director of Risk Management and a representative from the University General Counsel's Office will be ex-officio members.

Staff support is provided by Ethics Committee Chair's administrative staff.

Meetings: The Ethics Committee shall meet as necessary but at least quarterly.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Recommends new or revised policies and guidelines that concern organizational or clinical ethical issues
• Provides institutional direction regarding education related to ethical issues
• Provides an ethics consult service to clinicians, patients and families
• Provides organizational guidance and oversight to ensure compliance with patients rights regulations
• Establishes an education program for current and potential committee members to ensure a comfortable working knowledge of basic ethical principles and how to apply them at the individual and institutional level
• Identifies ethical issues within the organization and makes recommendation for change
• Provides an annual report to the Clinical Staff Executive Committee

Current Members