The Ethics Committee at Central Vermont Medical Center uses a collaborative approach to help patients, families, and clinicians work through difficult situations.
The Ethics Committee does not hand down decisions or mandate actions; rather, it facilitates an exploration of the ethical aspects of health care decisions, to ensure that patients'/residents’ rights are respected.
An ethics consultation might be considered when you have concerns about:
- Limitation of treatment
- Interpretation or application of advance directives
- Selection of an appropriate surrogate for a patient
- Appropriate limits to parental authority for medical decision-making
- Assessment of competence to consent or refuse
- Use of scarce or expensive resources
- Assessment of differing cultural or religious beliefs
- Requests for potentially inappropriate or unorthodox therapies
- Decision-making for socially isolated patients
- Issues of confidentiality
- Consent for research
- Financial constraints on treatment
To request an ethics consultation, ask any member of your medical team, or contact patient advocacy by phone: 802-371-4350, or by email: CVMC.patient.advocate.org.
The Ethics Committee at CVMC takes a compassionate, multidisciplinary approach, seeking the input of all who care for the patient. Please consider an ethics consultation when important questions arise concerning optimum care.