Clinical Ethics Program Lead

University Of Michigan; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Michigan seeks a Clinical Ethicist to lead ethics consultation, education, and policy work across Michigan Medicine. You will coordinate ethics services for inpatient and outpatient settings, mentor learners, and contribute to scholarly activity.

This role collaborates with faculty ethicists, clinical teams, and committees to advance patient-centered ethics. Regular on-site hours apply, with duties spanning policy development, research, and education.

Qualifications

• A master's degree or equivalent advanced degree in bioethics, philosophy, social work, behavioral health, social science, spiritual care, or a closely related field.
• Direct experience participating in clinical ethics consultation.
• Direct experience serving on a hospital or health system ethics committee.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, analyze, and communicate about complex ethical issues in clinical care.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and respectfully with patients, families, health care professionals, trainees, and leaders from varied disciplines and backgrounds.
• Ability to manage sensitive and potentially urgent consultations with sound judgment, professionalism, discretion, and attention to detail.
• Familiarity with the American Society for Bioethics and HumanitiesCore Competencies for Healthcare Ethics Consultation.
• Eligibility for the Healthcare Ethics Consultant-Certified credential, with the ability to obtain HEC-C certification within one year of appointment.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary intake contact for clinical ethics consultation requests during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
• Respond to calls to the ethics consultation line and remain available by hospital pager during designated hours.
• Gather and document relevant clinical, ethical, psychosocial, and contextual information.
• Conduct an initial ethical analysis in collaboration with Clinical Ethics Service faculty.
• Coordinate meetings with patients, families, surrogate decision-makers, clinical teams, and other participants as appropriate.
• Prepare draft consultation analyses and documentation for review by faculty ethicists and, when appropriate, ethics committee members.
• Incorporate feedback and, following approval by the supervising faculty ethicist, enter the final consultation note in the patient's electronic health record.
• Coordinate follow-up activities, promote continuity across consultations, and facilitate referrals to other services as needed.
• Support consultations across adult and pediatric inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Organize and participate in proactive ethics rounds throughout Michigan Medicine, including regularly scheduled rounds in intensive care units and other clinical units or ambulatory settings.
• Facilitate interprofessional case discussions to support the early identification and thoughtful resolution of ethical concerns.
• Help clinical teams recognize and address moral distress and related ethical challenges.
• Coordinate or facilitate scheduled and on-request ethics debriefing sessions for clinical units and other groups.
• Mentor predoctoral ethics fellows and other learners.
• Educate Michigan Medicine faculty, staff, trainees, and learners about clinical ethics, ethical decision-making, and the role of the Clinical Ethics Service.
• Develop, coordinate, and deliver structured educational programs in clinical ethics.
• Contribute to case conferences, presentations, workshops, and other educational activities.
• Attend meetings of Michigan Medicine's adult and pediatric ethics committees.
• Present consultation cases and facilitate committee discussions when cases are scheduled for review.
• Support committee projects, policy review, educational activities, and other initiatives.
• Contribute to the development, review, and implementation of institutional policies involving ethical issues in patient care.
• Identify emerging or recurring ethical concerns that may warrant policy guidance, educational intervention, or additional institutional review.
• Collaborate with clinical, legal, administrative, and other institutional partners as appropriate.
• Support theoretical and empirical research related to clinical ethics, ethics education, and decision science.
• Collaborate with faculty and research teams in planning, implementing, coordinating, and reporting project activities.
• As appropriate, assist with data collection and verification, data management, data analysis, and interpretation of findings.
• Contribute to abstracts, manuscripts, presentations, and other scholarly products.
• Present work at regional, national, or international professional meetings, as appropriate.

Skills

Clinical ethics consultation

Ethics committee participation

Ethical analysis

Communication skills

Professionalism

HEC-C familiarity

HEC-C eligibility

Education

Master's degree or equivalent advanced degree in bioethics or related field

Job description

The University of Michigan seeks a Clinical Ethicist to lead ethics consultation, education, and policy work across Michigan Medicine. You will coordinate ethics services for inpatient and outpatient settings, mentor learners, and contribute to scholarly activity.

This role collaborates with faculty ethicists, clinical teams, and committees to advance patient-centered ethics. Regular on-site hours apply, with duties spanning policy development, research, and education.