Create and Administer the Adventist Bioethics Consortium

The CCB will be responsible for creating, managing and administering the ABC and the resources contained therein.  The CCB will set up and maintain a website that will serve as a portal for member hospitals to easily do the following:

  • Easily access information specific to the Adventist church such as official statements and guidelines
  • Study existing policies from member hospitals on bioethical issues such as pregnancy termination and physician aid in dying
  • Solicit expert opinions on difficult bioethical issues
  • Collaborate on research with member institutions

The ABC is committed to increasing the awareness of clinicians and healthcare administrators who serve member hospitals of the consortium on current bioethical issues. To this end, the ABC will produce a monthly newsletter highlighting current bioethical issues and opinions, upcoming bioethics events and opportunities for collaboration.

Deliverables

Web-based portal to provide member hospitals with a simple and straightforward vehicle to access information and communicate with member hospitals

  1. Monthly electronic newsletter highlighting bioethical issues and events of interest
  2. Commitments by member hospitals or hospital systems to sustain the continual existence of the ABC

Provide Educational Opportunities Regarding Bioethical Issues

A now common certification requirement for hospitals is an active ethics committee and/or a means of resolving clinical ethical dilemmas. While many potential ABC member hospitals have active ethics committees and clinicians who engage in ethical deliberation, not all hospitals have the resources to provide high quality continuing education in bioethics. The ABC will provide bioethics education for clinicians and healthcare administrators who are currently active or interested in becoming active in ethical deliberation. These educational offerings will be in line with recommendations that have been released by the Adventist church and national organizations such as the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH). The CCB will be in charge of researching, teaching, planning, and coordinating these educational opportunities. They are as follows:

  • Webinars – short one hour sessions focusing on a single topic. The format will be a brief didactic overview of the topic followed by case studies and group discussion. All participants will be given pertinent reading material prior to the webinar. Continuing education credits for each specialty will be provided through Loma Linda University.
  • Online Clinical Ethics course – self-directed learning covering a broad range of clinical ethics issues. This course, written by national clinical ethics leaders, provides 20 hours of continuing education on topics such as surrogate decision making, decision making capacity, clinical ethics consultations, and withdrawing / withholding life sustaining treatments. This course is highly recommended for all members of a hospital ethics committee or clinicians who engage in ethical deliberation. Continuing education credits for each specialty will be provided through Loma Linda University.
  • Clinical Ethics Intensive – biennial (every two years) live course taught by national leaders in clinical ethics over three days covering practical and philosophical aspects of clinical ethics. This course is directed towards clinicians who either are practicing or wish to become practicing clinical ethicists. It will be held at LLUH and run by the CCB. In addition to covering pertinent clinical ethics topics the course will guide attendees on the practical aspects of initiating and maintaining a clinical ethics consultation service.

Deliverables:

  1. Quarterly hour long webinars covering a specific interest
  2. Online Clinical Ethics course for members of a hospital ethics committee
  3. Biennial Clinic Ethics intensive course covering clinical ethics and the managment and administration of a clinical ethics consultation service for clinical ethics consultants