Munson Medical Center Ethics Committee

Ethics Committee

Medical issues sometimes arise that create confusion and uncertainty for patients, their families, and medical staff. Everyone wants to do the right thing – but in some cases, the right decision is not always clear.

The Munson Healthcare Bioethics Resource Committee is an advisory group of doctors, nurses, lawyers, social workers, care managers, chaplains, community members and administrators throughout the Munson Healthcare servicing regions who work together to discuss the best ways to care for patients and the community when ethically challenging questions arise.  The Bioethics Resource Committee addresses ethical issues common to health care professionals and health care institutions through policies, ethics consultation, and education.

Committee Responsibilities

  • Provide consultation about ethical issues in individual cases, and on other issues which could affect patient care.
  • Provide support for professionals and families who confront ethical dilemmas associated with patient care.
  • Assist in the development of recommendations for institutional policy and review selected policies for their ethical implications.
  • Be accessible to patients and their advocates and/or families, employees and medical staff of Munson Healthcare, and the general public.

Ethics Consult Service

The Ethics Consult Service, governed by the Bioethics Resource Committee, helps patients, families, and staff when very difficult choices and ethical questions come up when caring for patients at Munson Medical Center. The goal of an ethics consultation is to help everyone make the best decision.  A member of the ethics consult service is available Monday-Friday 8-4pm during normal business days.  To speak to an ethics consultant or to request an ethics consult, call 231-935-5000 or “0” from a hospital phone and have the person on-call for ethics paged.

Common Ethics Consultation Triggers

  • End of life decision making
  • Disagreements among family members about goals of care
  • Conflicting medical opinions about treatment recommendations
  • Resource allocation when scarcity exists
  • Complex discharge planning

For more information or to request an ethics consultation for someone at Munson Medical Center, ask your provider or nurse for help.