Clinical Ethics Committee
Do you need help?
Medical care can be complex and confusing. An ethics consultation may help whenever the healthcare team, a patient, or a patient’s family has ethical concerns. A consultation can offer suggestions that the members of the healthcare team and patient (or the patient’s family) may use in their decision-making.
A few examples include:
- Concern about who should make healthcare decisions or how to make those decisions for patients too sick to speak for themselves.
- Conflict between values or religious beliefs and a recommended treatment.
- Disagreement over whether starting, continuing or ending treatment, such as breathing tubes or feeding tubes, is the right thing to do.
- A difficult or confusing medical situation that also raises ethical concerns.
Who can make a request?
Our service is available for hospital and clinic patients, their family members and any member of the healthcare team. There is no charge to request an ethics consultation. For information on the ethics services available, please call: 360.299.1340.
How do I make a request?
For more information on the ethics services available or to request an ethics consultation, please call the Ethics Consultation Request Line at 360.299.1340.
Other hospital resources
Our services help with difficult ethical decision-making. We do not offer medical, legal or financial solutions. For assistance with questions regarding these areas, please contact the hospital operator at 360.299.1300 and they will direct your call to the appropriate office.