Clinical Ethicist

American Addiction Centers•Oakbrook Terrace, IL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Clinical Ethicist conducts expert ethical analysis of clinical and organizational ethics issues raised via ethics consultation or internal request, applying ethical decision-making frameworks with interdisciplinary teams, leadership, and others. This role involves maintaining clear and comprehensive documentation for ethics consultations, including in patient's electronic health records when appropriate, and following up with teams. The Ethicist serves as a resource for ethics consult team members in their training and process, and ensures availability for clinical ethics consult requests received after regular business hours, weekends, and holidays, providing backup coverage. Key responsibilities include identifying and implementing projects to address ethical issues, developing tools and decision-making frameworks, and maintaining and advancing system-wide Ethics Consultation Request mechanisms. The role also involves developing and updating tracking and reporting systems, collecting and analyzing ethics consultation data for quality improvement, and aligning Ethics Program processes with best practices. The Ethicist will establish survey processes to identify trends, assist in producing quarterly Ethics Program dashboards, and manage the Ethics Program SharePoint Site and awareness campaigns. Collaboration on interdepartmental projects and providing support to the Director, Ethics, are also part of the role, along with staying abreast of emerging topics in bioethics. This is a full-time hybrid role, with a balance of remote and on-site time based on department needs.

Requirements

Master's Degree in bioethics, health care ethics, or medical ethics; or appropriate degree in a related field (e.g. philosophy, law, theology) with a focus on ethics in coursework and training.
Typically requires 3-4 years in practice, including experience with ethics consultation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and ethics committee leadership.
Demonstrated knowledge, skills and attributes as defined in the Core Competencies for Health Care Ethics Consultation (ASBH).
Excellent written and oral communications skills.
Strong interpersonal and diplomacy skills with demonstrated ability to handle sensitive situations and communications.
Excellent listening and comprehension skills.
Understanding of logic and how emotions, beliefs, and moral standards interact.
Excellent analytical skills with the ability to be objective.
Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office or similar products.
Ability to work in stressful situations, with incomplete information, under time pressure, and with emotionally distraught people.

Responsibilities

Conduct expert ethical analysis of clinical and organizational ethics issues raised via ethics consultation or internal request, by applying ethical decision-making frameworks with interdisciplinary teams, leadership, and others, as requested.
Maintain clear and comprehensive documentation for ethics consultations performed, including documentation in patient’s electronic health record if appropriate.
Follow up with team after consultation and facilitate ethics debriefing if necessary.
Serve as a resource for ethics consult team members in their consultation training and process, including documentation.
Ensure availability of Ethicist expertise for clinical ethics consult requests received after regular business hours, weekends, and holidays, providing backup consult coverage when needed.
Identify and implement projects to address and resolve pressing ethical issues facing leaders and team members.
Develop tools to guide leaders and team members in assessing and resolving ethical issues, including decision-making frameworks related to new and enduring issues in clinical and organizational ethics.
Maintain, update, and advance system-wide Ethics Consultation Request mechanisms.
Develop and update tracking and reporting systems respective to clinical and organizational ethics issues.
Collect, analyze, interpret, and communicate trends in ethics consultation data to inform quality improvement projects.
Align Ethics Program processes with best practices in analyzing trends in ethics services, and update processes as part of continuous quality improvement.
Advance quality by establishing survey processes and collate and analyze information to identify trends. This responsibility includes post-consultation surveys and other gap analyses to identify trends and inform ethics education initiatives and awareness campaigns.
Assist in the production of quarterly Ethics Program dashboard to include consultation data and trends, ethics education priorities, and ethics policy development and revision.
Support reporting processes and systems required to produce the dashboard.
Collaborate with leadership to align the Ethics Program dashboard reporting with system goals, priorities and initiatives, and update the dashboard format when needed.
Provide weekly ethics consultation volume reports and monthly consultation data summaries.
Manage and maintain Ethics Program SharePoint Site and awareness campaigns, including education and communication plans for system-wide ethics education, policy, and consultation offerings and services.
Act as Ethics Program point of contact when collaborating on interdepartmental projects (e.g. IT, Public Affairs & Marketing, HIM/Epic).
Provide support to Director, Ethics as requested, to ensure effective and efficient departmental operations.
Stay abreast of emerging topics in bioethics and share knowledge with teammates.

Benefits

Comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more.
Compensation Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training
Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job
Incentive pay for select positions
Opportunity for annual increases based on performance
Paid Time Off programs
Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
Educational Assistance Program