JCB Partners:
Trillium Health Centre, Regional Ethics Program
People and Roles:
Senior Ethicist: Dianne Godkin, RN PhD
Ethicist: Patricia Hood MacNicol, OT MHSc (Bioethics)
Program Description:
Trillium Health Centre is the “hub” of the Regional Ethics Program, an ethics service provider with a model of delivery based on a hub and spoke model which was established in 2009. “Spokes” are member organizations in the region that purchase services from the hub. The Senior Ethicist, Dianne Godkin, at Trillium Health Centre is the Lead for the Regional Ethics Program and is based primarily at Trillium Health Centre. The Ethicist, Patricia Hood MacNicol is located at The Credit Valley Hospital, one of the “spokes,” four days per week. Ethicists with the Regional Ethics Program work collaboratively across sites.
A regionalized delivery model helps to standardize delivery of ethics services; facilitates sharing of ethics resources across organizations; provides access to a group of academically trained ethicists with different types of expertise, professional backgrounds and skill sets; and offers the ability to provide ethics coverage across sites during extended absences.
The Regional Ethics Program is a resource for patients, families, staff, physicians, students, and volunteers around ethical decision-making: identifying and clarifying ethical issues, reviewing options and developing resolutions.
At both Trillium Health Centre and The Credit Valley Hospital, support in clinical ethics education, consultation, and policy development is provided in collaboration with members of the respective Ethics Forums.
Consultation:
The Regional Ethics Program offers consultation services to identify, analyze, and resolve ethical issues in support of high quality care.
Education:
Educational strategies are used to build capacity of staff, physicians and other stakeholders around ethical decision-making processes and when/how to access ethics resources. A variety of forums for case-based education around ethical issues encountered in practice are provided.
Policy Development:
Analysis and formulation of principles and protocols (policies and procedures) relating to ethical issues comprise a significant element of the work of the Regional Ethics Program.
Research:
Research is conducted on ethical issues relevant to local stakeholders and research ethics activities are supported by the Regional Ethics Program at each of its sites.
Website:
Contact Information:
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Dianne Godkin, Senior Ethicist |
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Patricia Hood MacNicol, Ethicist |
