The System Assistant Vice President or System Senior Director for Bioethics Formation and
Consultation provides leadership to clinical ethics services through consultation,
formation/education, chair of the System Bioethics Committee, policy development. This
position serves the Catholic Health (CH) system by working collaboratively with physicians,
patients, families, co-workers, and pastoral care leaders to facilitate ethical decision-making
consistent with the Mission of Catholic Health and the Ethical and Religious Directives (USCCB),
and the teachings of the Catholic Church in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic
Church and the Code of Canon Law as interpreted by the Diocesan Bishop. As both a clinician
(M.D. or D.O., R.N.) with experience/certification in palliative care preferred, as well as being a
bioethicist, the AVP contributes to a robust ethics culture in which coworkers, physicians,
leaders, and community partners consider the implications of their daily decisions to ensure
alignment with the mission and Catholic identity of CH.
This is one FTE with 50 percent in clinical work and 50 percent in administration.
Qualifications and Experience:
• Required to be Roman Catholic bioethicist and clinician (M.D. or D.O., R.N.). Palliative
Care experience/certification is preferred.
• Master’s degree in Bioethics, Moral Philosophy, Moral Theology or a related academic
training.
• At least one year of clinical ethics experience in a health care setting for those without
a Ph.D. or its equivalent. For those with a Ph.D. or its equivalent, at least six months of
supervised clinical ethics experience in a healthcare setting or equivalent
• Five years in clinical ethics consultation or health-care experience preferred.
• Healthcare Ethics Consultant-Certified (HCE-C) preferred.
Knowledge & Skills:
• Knowledge, fluency in, and adherence to the Catholic moral and social teaching as
described above and the Catholic moral tradition.
• Knowledge and adherence to the mission and priorities of Catholic health care.
• Knowledge of ethical theory, bioethics and common bioethical issues, clinical ethics,
organizational, and social ethics.
• Ability to appropriately and faithfully communicate and apply the Catholic moral
tradition and Catholic moral and social teaching to clinical, social, and organizational
issues.
• Knowledge of health care delivery, operations, and priorities.
• Ability to create and implement items such as procedures, policies, educational tools,
and quality metrics.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; effective communication with
diverse groups; ability to facilitate meetings; ability to manage conflict and build
consensus; appropriate personal attributes such as compassion and prudence.
• Teaching/presentation skills and facilitation with adult learning methods; critical
thinking; creative problem solving; expertise in moral reasoning.
• Ability to facilitate, coach, and negotiate in ethics consultations and mission
discernments.
• Must be able to use/learn to use the comprehensive electronic medical record.
• Must have technological acumen to efficiently provide education and consultation
services. Such technology may include Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, teleconsults, telephone, videoconference, and webinars.