Clinical Ethicist Part Time Days 8a-4p Atlantic Health Chilton Medical Center

Role Summary The Clinical Ethicist serves as a site‑embedded ethics consultant at designated hospitals and contributes to a system‑wide ethics program through consultation standards, education, and policy review. The role supports patients, families, clinicians, and organizations through ethical analysis, facilitation, and guidance. The Clinical Ethicist does not make clinical or care decisions ; decision‑making authority remains with patients, families, and clinical teams. The ethicist’s role is consultative, advisory, and supportive. Core Responsibilities Clinical Ethics Consultation The Clinical Ethicist receives and conducts clinical ethics consultations at assigned sites using nationally recognized best practices. Requests for ethics may be received from patients and family as well as the clinical team directly involved in the care of the patient. Consultations address ethically complex issues in patient care, including decision‑making capacity, informed consent and refusal, surrogate decision‑making, goals of care, end‑of‑life care, potentially inappropriate treatment, and value‑based conflict. Assists stakeholders in identifying and clarifying ethical questions Provides structured ethical analysis and options for consideration Offers ethics recommendations , not decisions Documents consultations clearly and accurately Follows cases as appropriate to support understanding and relieve moral distress Refers to appropriate resources within the hospital setting for additional support Ethics recommendations integrate patient values and preferences, clinical context, professional ethical standards, organizational policies, and applicable federal and state health care law, including relevant case law. Recommendations are intended to support , not replace, the deliberation and judgment of clinicians and patients or their surrogates. Respectful Engagement, Communication, and Facilitation The Clinical Ethicist engages patients, families, clinicians, and leaders in a respectful, collaborative, and non‑directive manner . Using facilitation and mediation skills, the ethicist: Creates psychologically safe spaces for dialogue Supports exploration of values, goals, and moral concerns Helps manage moral distress and ethical uncertainty Promotes fair process and mutual understanding The ethicist maintains neutrality with respect to treatment choices while supporting ethically sound deliberation. Preventive Ethics and Site Integration As a site‑embedded resource, the Clinical Ethicist participates in ethics rounds, interdisciplinary discussions, and leadership consultations to proactively identify and address ethical concerns. Preventive ethics efforts focus on reducing recurrent conflict, supporting ethical practice, and strengthening local ethics capacity. Education and Training Education is a core responsibility of the role. The Clinical Ethicist develops and delivers ethics education primarily for hospital ethics committee members, followed by clinical teams and learners. Education emphasizes ethical reasoning, consultation skills, respectful engagement, and alignment with organizational policies and law. Policy and Legal Knowledge The Clinical Ethicist contributes to ethics‑related policy development and interpretation. The role requires a working knowledge of state and federal health care law relevant to clinical ethics consultation and familiarity with case law that informs ethical practice. Legal knowledge is used to contextualize ethical recommendations, not to provide legal determinations. Professional Contribution Scholarly activity related to clinical ethics consultation is encouraged, including teaching, publication, and presentation. System‑Wide Ethics Contributions The Clinical Ethicist contributes to a system‑wide ethics oversight committee , supporting consistency and quality across the ethics program. Responsibilities include participation in: Review of ethics consultation practices and complex cases System‑level ethics education initiatives Review and alignment of ethics‑related policies and guidance This work is conducted collaboratively with clinical leaders, legal counsel, compliance, and risk management, while maintaining the distinct advisory role of ethics consultation. Role Boundaries The Clinical Ethicist does not direct care, make treatment decisions, or override clinical judgment . The ethicist provides ethics guidance and recommendations to support informed, values‑based decision‑making by patients, families, and clinicians. Engagement is consultative, collaborative, and supportive at all times. #J-18808-Ljbffr Atlantic Health System