601 East 14th Street, Sedalia, Missouri 65301 • (660) 826-8833
Bothwell Regional Health Center recognizes that complex ethical questions often arise in the health care environment. The Bothwell Regional Health Center Ethics Advisory Committee was formed to support patients, families, and caregivers as they work together to find solutions to these difficult problems.
Some of the ethical questions the committee can assist staff, patients and families in addressing are:
When should breathing machines or feeding tubes be started, continued or stopped?
What if a patient refuses medical treatment?
Who should speak for or make decisions for patients who cannot make their own decisions?
What if there is a conflict between medical care and religious beliefs or personal morals?
What if there is a conflict in the family regarding how medical care should be given?
The Ethics Advisory Committee:
The Committee is an interdisciplinary group composed of health care professionals and community representatives. Its purpose is to provide education and awareness of ethics in health care, review and develop policies that involve ethical concern, and provide case consultation when there are ethical conflicts or dilemmas in patient care.
What is an ethical dilemma?
An ethical dilemma occurs when conflicts arise based on differences in values, difficulties in communication, or due to the severe stress of critical illness. An ethical consultation can be helpful in these situations.
When to request an ethics consultation?
Patients, families, and health care providers are encouraged to request the assistance of the Ethics Advisory Committee when seeking guidance in making difficult healthcare decisions.
How to request an ethics consultation?
Contact is made through the Patient Care Coordinator at BRHC by calling the hospital switchboard (660-826-8833) or by dialing “0” in a patient’s room and asking the Coordinator to be paged. Patients and family members may also ask a physician or hospital staff member to initiate a referral for a consultation for them.
Will an ethics consultation be confidential?
Yes. All discussions are confidential.
Is advice from an ethics consultation legally binding?
No. An ethics consultation may give advice or recommendations, but they are not legally binding.
Is there a charge for an ethics consultation?
No. The consultation is free to you and your family.
What if I have a concern or complaint concerning patient care that is not an ethical issue?
Complaints are welcomed as opportunities to identify issues and improve services. Patient complaints are addressed by Patient Advocates who can be reached by request to your nurse or at extension 588 or 728, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. After 4:00 p.m. or on weekends, contact the switchboard (“0”) and ask for the nursing supervisor.
