Ethics Advisory Committee

All issues of health care have an ethical component. In a hospital setting, ethics addresses moral questions and dilemmas faced by the patient, family, and caregivers within the healthcare system.

The role of the Ethics Advisory Committee is to fulfill the mission statements of Norfolk General Hospital and the Norfolk Hospital Nursing Home by assisting members of our institution and community to develop a greater understanding of ethical issues and to enhance the related decision-making skills.

The principal issues addressed by the Ethics Advisory Committee are:

  • Education
  • Case Review
  • Consultation
  • Research Information and Consent

Ethical decision making includes:

     COMMITMENT to do the right thing
     KNOWLEDGE of fact and situation
     ADHERENCE to the mission of Norfolk General Hospital and Norfolk Hospital Nursing Home

What Does The Ethics Committee Do?

  • Provides, through consultation, a supportive advisory forum where ethical issues and concerns are identified and addressed.
  • Education on ethical matters through printed resources, workshops and consulting.
  • Reviews research protocols to ensure that the appropriate information is available for choice and decision making by a patient, and cases to help clarify ethical concerns, to promote a recognition of values and to support the efforts of those involved.
  • Assists in the development of policies, procedures and guidelines through acting as a resource in ethical matters.
  • Ensures that the standards of the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation pertaining to Ethics are met at Norfolk General Hospital and the Norfolk Hospital Nursing Home.

Contact
Valerie Vanhooren MSW, RSW
Ethics Advisory Committee
Norfolk General Hospital
Phone: (519) 426-0130

If you are a caregiver, family member, patient, or a substitute decision maker, and need to discuss an ethical problem, the Ethics Advisory Committee can provide a helpful service.

Accountability
The Ethics Advisory Committee is accountable to the Board of Directors of the Norfolk General Hospital. The Committee has no legal or moral authority to make clinical decisions.

Confidentiality
The Ethics Advisory Committee respects the privacy of individuals and holds in strict confidence all client information.

Members
Committee membership represents the hospital, the nursing home and the community they serve.

  • Interdisciplinary Staff
  • Medical
  • Nursing
  • Paramedical
  • Social Work
  • Support
  • Community
  • Pastoral Care
  • Board of Directors

All questions brought to the Ethics Advisory Committee are treated with confidentiality, respect for human dignity, and a concern for human dignity.

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