Clinical Ethics Committee

The Mission of the Clinical ethics Committee is to help improve the quality of care patients receive by reviewing, analyzing, and making recommendations about complex clinical situations.

Vision

Our ethics committee can help you make important medical –ethical decision. It’s a separate from our dispute resolution procedures, which address a member’s complaint or grievance.

Values

• Spirituality
• Excellence
• Integrity
• Compassion
• Respect
• Stewardship

When it comes to health care, people’s values and beliefs vary. For example some people believe in living as long as possible, regardless of their condition.

Others feel that being free of pain or being able to communicate is more important than the absolute length of life. Some people have religious beliefs that guide the health care decisions they make.

Sometimes medical practitioners, patients, or family members will differ about what kind of medical care is appropriate. If you need help resolving such a conflict, our Ethics Committee may be able to help. Members of the Ethics Committee are available to meet with all the people involved to help you find a solution.

What is the Ethics Committee?

Our Ethics Committee is dedicated to helping practitioners, patients, and families by listening to the issues surrounding patient care and then helping everyone involved sort through the conflict. The committee can help resolve situations involving end- of-life care, withholding or withdrawing artificial life support, ethical conflicts between family members and physicians, and treatment alternatives that have moral importance.

Who is on the Ethics Committee?

The team consists of hospital staff members from various departments, such as physicians, nurses, and social workers. It also includes members of the Hay- ward and <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /> Fremont communities who are dedicated to helping patients and physicians make difficult health care decisions. Committee members don't take sides in the dispute; instead, they listen to all points of view and attempt to help you resolve your ethical conflict.

When can the Ethics Committee help?

When there is significant conflict between patients, families, and medical practitioners

When a practitioner has an ethical dilemma about care of a particular patient

When patients and families need help making difficult medical care decisions

What is an ethics consultation?

At an ethics consultation, you'll meet with one or more members of our Ethics Committee. Commit- tee members will work with you to sort out the issues involved in your conflict, and help you resolve your dilemma.

Who can request a consultation?

Any Kaiser Permanente member, Kaiser Permanente practitioner, or relative of a Kaiser Permanente patient can request a consultation.

Our Fremont Ethics Committee members:

How to request a consultation with our Ethics Committee

In Fremont :

Call our Ethics Hotline at ( 510) 248-7153

24 hours a day and leave a detailed message.

We're here to help

Decisions about your health are important, and you don't need to make them alone. At Kaiser Permanente, we value the diverse backgrounds of our members and health care team and work to provide you with the resources necessary to help you reach your health goals.