healthcare ethics leadership academyTM

Advancing Professionals in Healthcare Ethics

The Healthcare Ethics Consortium (HEC) and the Emory University Center for Ethics are pleased to announce the 2020 Healthcare Ethics Leadership AcademyTM and Certificate.


Program Objectives

This 18-month certificate program is designed for physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, healthcare administrators, lawyers and other professionals who seek to enhance their knowledge and skills in healthcare ethics. Participants may, for example, plan to deepen their involvement on an ethics committee or ethics consultation service, be engaged in patient care where ethical issues are commonly confronted, desire to explore health policy concerns, or have a deep interest in a focused area of healthcare ethics.

Participants will receive approximately 40 hours of classroom teaching in Clinical Ethics beginning in Fall of 2020.  The program will provide a foundation for the further study of bioethics.  A Healthcare Ethics Leadership Certificate will be awarded upon completion of the program.


Program Goals

• Develop a foundation in the discipline of ethics and knowledge of the classic issues in healthcare ethics.
• Demonstrate preparedness for an increased leadership role in designing, implementing, and assessing a healthcare ethics committee or service.
• Develop the knowledge and skills needed for case consultation and implement emerging best practices for healthcare ethics consultation.

Program Components

• Participation in the course "Classic Issues in Bioethics" in Fall 2020
• Though in-person participation preferred, sessions can be attended virtually
• Attendance at two HEC workshops or roundtables (e.g. the Ethics Committee Workshop; the Advanced Workshop in Ethics Case Consultation; Roundtable on Medically Inappropriate treatment)
• Attendance at two (2) HEC annual conferences
• Developing a project specific to and supported by the participant’s home institution

Mentors will provide oversight and review of participants’ readings and projects. The bioethics course will be taught by Emory University Center for Ethics faculty.


Past Academy Participants

Past program participants have worked on diverse projects including: barriers and solutions to advance directives in one community; evaluating the efficacy of a new palliative care service; transforming ethics service in one health system; end of life care and faith communities; the ethics of genetic screening for sickle cell. Several participants have deepened their leadership role in ethics.


Application/Statement of Interest

Enrollment in this leadership class is limited. Please complete the Statement of Interest form (at website below) and submit by Monday, August 3, 2020. We encourage applicants to discuss participation with institutional leaders and a letter of support for participation from leadership is required as a part of your submission.

You will be notified of your acceptance into the program no later than Friday, August 7, 2020. The first class session will be held August 25. We will also schedule a separate meeting with Academy participants in late August/early September.