Clinical Ethics Consultation

We offer ethics consultation using a team approach, with a review of selected consults at our regular HEC meetings.  Any one patient matter may have several encounters, including interviews, meetings, and participation in rounds. Consultation is available to our patients and family members and to members of the team caring for them.

Clinical ethics consultations are provided by the Clinical Ethics Service supported by the Hospital Ethics Committee for UNC Hospitals. To make a consult request please call 919-843-1470. Arlene Davis and Gary Gala provide leadership for the Service and Committee.  The Committee also provides general advice for the Ethics Committees throughout UNC Health.

The work of consultation could not occur without the dedicated efforts of our lead consultant (LC) group. Like membership on the HEC, the lead consultants are a diverse group of  faculty and staff members who volunteer their time to the complex work of consultation, assisted by HEC members who serve on our general consult team. The LC group meets separately for case discussion and educational development.

The Clinical Ethics Service is growing its capacity to offer ethics consultation at each UNC Hospital’s campus: the Medical Center, the Hillsborough Hospital, and the Hospice Center.

The UNC Health system is growing and has a number of affiliate hospitals, each with its own ethics services for patients and staff. Our Clinical Ethics Service networks with the ethics committees in our affiliate hospitals.

This forum provides an opportunity for Hospital Ethics Committee members across UNC Health to come together to discuss case consultation topics and methods. These one-hour virtual sessions, by registration only, feature de-identified cases from any of our hospitals’ ethics committees.

If you would like to participate in this group, please reach out via email to Anissa_Berger@med.unc.edu.