The CBSSM Clinical Ethics Service (CES) is led by Dr. Andrew Shuman, MD, FACS, HEC-C.

The Clinical Ethics Service administers and works seamlessly with the adult and pediatric ethics committees who provide quality assurance and improvement for individual ethics consultations as well as create and inform ethics policies for the institution; performs clinical ethics consultation; assists with ethics-related policy development at the institutional, state, and national level on a regular and proactive basis; organizes and administers structured educational programs in clinical ethics; and coordinates empiric research relevant to clinical ethics. Through these actions, it serves as a national model for how to instill a culture of ethical and patient-centered care in a large academic medical center.

The Clinical Ethics Service staffs all ethics consultations arising from any of the clinical venues (inpatient and outpatient; adult and pediatric) 24/7/365. Our dedicated clinical ethicists manage the service daily and eight faculty ethicists (all of whom are CEC-C certified) rotate on service throughout the year and work closely with the clinical ethicists. Additional members of the pediatric and adult ethics committees share consultation responsibilities and participate in consultations at their discretion. Medical students (specifically those on the ethics committees and ethics path of excellence), house officers, and other trainees also participate though formal rotations on service.

We have streamlined the process of clinical ethics consultation, to ensure consistent quality of service according to national standards. The Committees accept consultations from any service, discipline, or patient and/or family member as requested. The Clinical Ethics Service is involved with more than 1000 unique patients/year, rounding on 10 ICUs/floors and present in 20 programs, units, & services.