UK HealthCare Ethics Committee
The UK HealthCare Ethics Committee, a multidisciplinary standing committee that includes members from all UK hospitals, reports to the Medical Staff Executive Committee. Per its charter, this Committee is chaired by the Director of the Program for Bioethics as well as a member of the Medical Staff.
The main charges of the Ethics Committee are to review or generate policy and run the Clinical Ethics Consultation Service.
The committee meets the first Monday of each month. Email the chair to recommend an agenda item or inquire about membership.
Committee Members
Committee members are appointed for two-year terms, unless they are also serving as active members of the Clinical Ethics Consultation Service. In that case, their service will continue as long as they are active members of the Clinical Ethics Consultation Service.
Co-chairs
M. Sara Rosenthal, PhD, HEC-C, Professor and Director, UK Program for Bioethics;
James McCormick, MD, Professor, Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
- Ashley Boerrigter, M.D.
- Emily Bradford, PhD
- Caroline Buchanan, PhD, HEC-C*
- Megan Payne, RN, BSN
- Stephanie Fugate, MSN, APRN-ACNP
- Megan Foley
- Jay Fulton, MDiv, BCC
- Natalie Houghton, DO
- Rev. Dr. Cam Holzer, BCC
- Kultaj Kaleka, M.D.
- Angie Lang
- Katherine Maddy, PhD, CCC-SLP
- Brandy Mathews, MSN, MHA, RN
- James McCormick, MD‡ (Co-Chair)
- Brendan Rhatican, M.D.
- Lindsay Ragsdale, MD
- Hillary Rieger, MA, MS, LCGC
- M. Sara Rosenthal, PhD, HEC-C* (Chair)
- Robert Slocum, PhD, DDiv
- Tammy Swartz, MSN/Ed, RN
- Joey Burke, MSN, MFA, RN
* Indicates members who are serving as clinical ethics consultants.
‡ Indicates members who are providing peer review for chart notes.
Background
The term "hospital ethics committee" first appeared in the Karen Quinlan decision in 1976 (In re Quinlan, 70 N.J. 10; 355 A.2d 647). The decision recommended that future such cases go before a "hospital 'Ethics Committee' or like body of the institution." Prior the Quinlan decision, earlier versions of quasi- hospital ethics committees existed with hospital dialysis committees as well as ad hoc reproductive ethics committees for emergency procedures.
In 1983, the U.S. President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical Research endorsed the use of hospital ethics committees, followed by endorsement by the American Medical Association in 1985.
In 1992, The Joint Commission required that hospitals have an "independent ethics mechanism" to address ethical issues in clinical care, which resulted in the establishment of clinical ethics consultation at institutions accredited by the Joint Commission.