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Ethics Committee


Patient-guests and their families may find themselves involved in ethical questions that arise in the course of care. Community Hospital has a process in place to address ethical issues regarding healthcare. Should you or a family member desire an ethics consultation, please ask your nurse or contact the Patient Representative at (970) 256-6291 to contact the Ethics Committee.
Healthcare services and the way they are delivered have changed dramatically. The rapid growth of medical knowledge and technology has created situations that can perplex the brightest and most caring among us.

Ethical concerns and issues faced by physicians, nurses, administrators, patient-guests and their family members have become complex. With so many choices, it is sometimes difficult to know whether we are making the right decision. As patient-guests, family members or a healthcare provider, we want to make decisions about care that are reinforced by our personal and/or professional values and beliefs.

Fortunately, methods in addressing these issues at Community Hospital also have evolved. Community Hospital’s Ethics Committee can help by offering expert guidance and assistance in your hard choices and difficult decision-making process.

Community Hospital’s Ethics Committee comprises healthcare providers and community representatives with a special interest in biomedical ethics.
• Physicians from various specialties
• Hospital senior management
• Hospital chaplain
• Experts in medical social work, patient rights, advance directives, intensive care, and organ/tissue donations.

Community Hospital’s Ethics Committee creates an environment in which ethical dimensions of healthcare are respected. The committee may be advisory for patient-guests, families, physicians, caregivers and our institution. The committee provides a forum to enhance education and facilitate understanding of ethical matters and support for those in need of this service, which includes:
• The rights of patient-guests, family and health team members
• Discussion and mediation of ethical issues
• Support for involved decision-makers

Education
• Programs for healthcare professionals
• Programs for the Grand Junction area community
• Continuing education for ethics committee members
Supportive Consultation
The Ethics Committee is available to assist patient-guests, their families and healthcare professionals when difficulty is experienced in decision-making with regard to what is the right choice.

A consultation with selected representatives of the committee may help all participants to better understand what the choices are and to clarify the values involved in the decision. The ethics consultation group serves as a sounding board.

Consultations are confidential and advisory. A patient-guest and family’s right to privacy and sensitive treatment of their concerns is always respected.

The committee encourages the use of ethics decision-making processes in all aspects of healthcare. Although the committee does not set hospital policies or procedures, it does review and comment on many of them.

It is the aim of the committee to not only solve problems in ethics as they arise, but to seek ways to prevent problems from occurring. The goal of the ethics committee is to transform the culture—both in organizational and patient-guest care practices.

The committee networks with other ethics groups, healthcare organizations, agencies, and individuals who serve healthcare providers. The committee does this to enhance the ethics of both clinical and organizational practices across the continuum of
health care.

What Can You Do?
The following are ways you can be prepared to make hard healthcare decisions:
• Have a patient/physician conversation about what your choices would be regarding an acceptable quality of life.
• Discuss and prepare Medical Advance Directives, i.e. Durable Medical Power of Attorney or Five Wishes.
• Encourage communications among healthcare providers and patient-guests regarding concerns and personal preferences in healthcare treatment.
• Attend Community Hospital ethics educational programs.
• Attend public forums and presentations on bio-medical ethics issues and debates.
• The public library, Community Hospital’s medical library, and the Internet have helpful publications for all levels of interest.