Ethics Committee

Ethics Committee

The Ethics Committee at NWH is always available to patients, family and staff members for assistance or advice when ethical issues relating to patient care arise. 

Ethics Consultation

An ethics consult is a process whereby members of the Ethics Committee meet with patients, family members and/or members of the health care team to address ethical concerns or conflicts.

To request an Ethics Consult

Any patient, family member or hospital staff member.
To arrange a consult, call the Committee Co-Chairs at 914-666-1951 or 914-666-1926.

Problems for which an Ethics Consultation may be helpful

• Advance directives or surrogate decision making
• deciding whether to stop treatment
• conflicts with caregivers or loved ones
• and decisions about cardio-pulmonary resuscitation

...These are just examples. If you are unsure whether an ethics consultation is appropriate, please call to discuss it with us. We will help you understand how best to proceed. Even if we decide together that an ethics consultation is not appropriate at this time, we can help put you in touch with the appropriate resources to address your concerns.

What an Ethics Consult does

Clarifies the nature of the ethical question; promotes discussion of ethical standards and responsibilities related to patient care; encourages shared decision making among patients, families and the health-care team; and makes recommendations to those involved.

Ethics Committee Decisions

The Committee recommendations are advisory. This means that the patient and the medical team can decide whether to follow the recommendations or not. However, we hope that our recommendations will be helpful in reaching a decision that feels right for everyone.   

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