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Ethical Care

Promoting a Thriving Moral Community

Healthcare decisions can be difficult—for patients, for families, and for clinicians. But it helps to know that the Wellstar Ethics Program is available to support patients, families and healthcare teams in navigating the moral and ethical dimensions of patient care.

When you or a loved one are cared for by a Wellstar provider, you can count on behavior and decision-making that aligns with our mission, vision and values. And, when you’re faced with making hard medical choices, our Clinical Ethicists will be by your side with information, guidance and resources.

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Ethics Consultation

Patients, surrogate decision-makers, family members, healthcare providers and many others may all be involved in a patient’s care—and may regularly face challenging ethical questions and dilemmas. When that happens, we’ll be here to help.

Helping Patients and Families Make Life's Most Difficult Decisions

When it comes to making a tough medical decision, it can feel like you’re all alone. But the truth is, dealing with ethical issues in healthcare is common. Here are a few situations we frequently see:

  • How should surrogate decision-makers make life-altering medical decisions on behalf of a patient when the patient isn’t able to make an informed decision?
  • What should be done when a patient’s surrogate decision-makers disagree about whether the patient would or would not have wanted a specific type of medical treatment?
  • What’s necessary in order to conduct a good informed consent process for medical treatment?
  • How should statements or wishes expressed in a patient’s healthcare advance directive be interpreted in a particular situation?

The Ethics Consultation Process

The Ethics Consultation Service, which is staffed by Wellstar Clinical Ethicists, is an advisory service. Our Clinical Ethicists will offer counsel and recommendations, but patients, families, surrogate decision-makers and healthcare providers remain in charge of their own decisions.

During an ethics consultation, experienced Clinical Ethicists work with individuals or teams to think through ethical questions, dilemmas and issues in a thoughtful and precise manner.

Patients, families and surrogate decision-makers may request an ethics consult by asking someone on the patient’s healthcare team to contact the Ethics Consultation Service on their behalf or (for non-urgent issues) by emailing [email protected].

Ethics Program

The Wellstar Ethics Program is led by the Assistant Vice President of Ethics and is staffed by Clinical Ethicists, Program Coordinators, an Ethics Research Team Lead and Clinical Ethics Fellows.

While many ethics programs rely on a volunteer ethics committee model, our program employs full-time Clinical Ethicists, all of whom have advanced training and are certified in healthcare ethics. The moral implications of healthcare decisions are weighty. We believe utilizing individuals with appropriate training and experience honors our responsibility to provide high-quality care to our patients.

Ethics Initiatives

The Ethics Program has three primary initiatives in which healthcare professionals participate to promote a thriving moral community at Wellstar:

  • An Ethics Grand Rounds series focused on core healthcare ethics topics and case discussions.
  • An Ethics Liaison Network for highly engaged individuals seeking advanced ethics training, camaraderie and partnership with Clinical Ethicists for ethics work/projects.
  • A system-level Ethics Advisory Group focused on strategic direction, policy work and quality review.

Non-Consultation Activities

In addition to ethics consultation, the Ethics Program supports a number of other ethics-related activities. These include education for various healthcare professionals and medical learners, clinical rounding, serving on hospital-level committees and taskforces, policy development, training clinical ethics fellows, moral distress support, academic research and scholarship, and others.

For questions about the Ethics Program, please email [email protected].

Related Resources

Advance Care Planning

Clinical Ethics Fellowship

More Information

For more information about the Wellstar Ethics Program, contact us.

Send a message

Meet our team


A friendly photo of Jason Lesandrini

Jason Lesandrini

PhD, FACHE, LPEC, HEC-C

Assistant Vice President of Ethics

A placeholder image

Bryan Kibbe

PhD, HEC–C

Director of Clinical Ethics

A placeholder image

Steven Shields

JD, MA, HEC–C

Director of Clinical Ethics

Friendly photo of Joseph Bertino

Joseph Bertino

PhD, HEC-C

Director of Clinical Ethics

Photo of Jessica GInsberg

Jessica Rogers

JD, MBE, HEC–C

Director of Clinical Ethics Fellowship

Friendly photo of Mary Ann Brown

Mary-Ann Brown

MSN, RN, HEC-C

Clinical Ethicist

A friendly photo of Mike Vaughan

Mike Vaughan

JD, LLM, MPH, HEC-C

Clinical Ethicist

A friendly photo of Charles Barclay

Charles Barclay

PhD, Msc, MA, HEC-C

Clinical Ethicist

Friendly photo of Anna Meurer

Anna Meurer

MPH, PhD(c)

Clinical Ethicist

A friendly photo to Abby Kovan

Abby Kovan

MS CCC-SLP

Clinical Ethicist

A friendly photo of Brigitte Swartwood

Brigitte Swartwood

PhD

Clinical Ethicist, Specialization in Moral Distress

A friendly headshot of David Reis

David Reis

PhD

Manager of Ethics Research and Internship Program

A friendly photo of Rhonda Owens

Rhonda Owens

Administrative Assistant

Friendly photo of Lily Landwermeyer

Lily Landwermeyer

Ethics Program Coordinator

Meet our team


A friendly photo of Jason Lesandrini

Jason Lesandrini

PhD, FACHE, LPEC, HEC-C

Assistant Vice President of Ethics

A placeholder image

Bryan Kibbe

PhD, HEC–C

Director of Clinical Ethics

A placeholder image

Steven Shields

JD, MA, HEC–C

Director of Clinical Ethics

Friendly photo of Joseph Bertino

Joseph Bertino

PhD, HEC-C

Director of Clinical Ethics

Photo of Jessica GInsberg

Jessica Rogers

JD, MBE, HEC–C

Director of Clinical Ethics Fellowship

Friendly photo of Mary Ann Brown

Mary-Ann Brown

MSN, RN, HEC-C

Clinical Ethicist

A friendly photo of Mike Vaughan

Mike Vaughan

JD, LLM, MPH, HEC-C

Clinical Ethicist

A friendly photo of Charles Barclay

Charles Barclay

PhD, Msc, MA, HEC-C

Clinical Ethicist

Friendly photo of Anna Meurer

Anna Meurer

MPH, PhD(c)

Clinical Ethicist

A friendly photo to Abby Kovan

Abby Kovan

MS CCC-SLP

Clinical Ethicist

A friendly photo of Brigitte Swartwood

Brigitte Swartwood

PhD

Clinical Ethicist, Specialization in Moral Distress

A friendly headshot of David Reis

David Reis

PhD

Manager of Ethics Research and Internship Program

A friendly photo of Rhonda Owens

Rhonda Owens

Administrative Assistant

Friendly photo of Lily Landwermeyer

Lily Landwermeyer

Ethics Program Coordinator

A friendly photo of Jason Lesandrini

Jason Lesandrini

PhD, FACHE, LPEC, HEC-C

Assistant Vice President of Ethics

Jason Lesandrini is the Assistant Vice President for Ethics, Advance Care Planning, and Spiritual Health at Wellstar. In his current role, Jason provides leadership and resources to promote ethical behavior and decision-making aligned with the mission, vision, and values of the health system. He received his BA in Philosophy from Michigan State University, his MA in Philosophy from Georgia State University, and is currently working on his PhD in Healthcare Ethics. Jason’s research expertise lies in the areas of ethics programming and organizational ethics and how organizations establish robust ethics departments to deliver on their mission, vision, and values.

Publications

  • Impact of a Novel Method of Ethics Education on Nurse Leaders’ Capacity for Moral Decision-Making: An Exploratory Qualitative Study Nurse Leader (2021)
  • Community Outreach and Ethics Services Ethics & Medics (2020)
  • Stakeholder Bias in Best Practice Advisories: An Ethical Perspective Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (2020)
  • How Much Volume Should Healthcare Ethics Consult Services Have? The Journal of Clinical Ethics (2020)
  • Justice: An Experiential Learning Exercise for Physician Assistant Students Journal of Physician Assistant Education (2018)
(470) 956-6425 Send a message
A placeholder image

Bryan Kibbe

PhD, HEC–C

Director of Clinical Ethics

Bryan Kibbe, PhD, HEC-C, is a certified healthcare ethics consultant. He works with frontline healthcare workers and patients and their families to address and resolve challenging ethical questions, dilemmas, and issues that frequently arise in healthcare settings. He completed his doctorate in philosophy in 2014 and a fellowship in advanced bioethics at the Cleveland Clinic in 2016. In addition to ethics consultation work, Dr. Kibbe contributes to organizational policy development, conducts scholarship, and provides ethics related education to healthcare professionals and others. Dr. Kibbe’s research interests include the ways in which healthcare technologies intersect with, inform, fulfill, imperil, and otherwise shape ethical ideals and norms in healthcare, as well as the work of moral repair after harms and errors occur.

Publications

  • Stakeholder Bias in Best Practice Advisories: An Ethical Perspective Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (2020)
  • The Feasibility of Implementing Normative Claims That Are Especially Strong and Important The American Journal of Bioethics (2020)
  • How to Deal with Challenging Family Situations Society of Critical Care Medicine (2019)
  • Cases from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation: What's Knowledge Got to Do with It? Ethics, Epistemology, and Intractable Conflicts in the Medical Setting The Journal of Clinical Ethics (2016)
(770) 793-7739 Send a message
A placeholder image

Steven Shields

JD, MA, HEC–C

Director of Clinical Ethics

Steven Shields is a Clinical Ethicist at Wellstar Health System. In addition to performing clinical ethics consultations, Steven also teaches ethics throughout the health system, with a specific focus on Nursing Residents and Nursing Fellows Ethics lecture series. He received his BA in political science and philosophy from Spring Hill College, his MA in religious studies from Georgia State University, and his JD from Mercer University. Steven’s research interests are focused on the intersection of law and ethics, the impact of religious beliefs on medical decision-making, the rights of incarcerated persons, and professionalization of the field of clinical ethics.

Publications

  • Palliative Sedation, Compassionate Extubation, and the Principle of Double Effect: An Ethical Analysis American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine (2021)
  • Demonstrating Value Through Tracking Ethics Program Activities Beyond Ethics Consultations The Journal of Clinical Ethics (2020)
  • When a Coronavirus Patient Requests to Leave AMA Journal of Radiology Nursing (2020)
  • Ethics, Compliance, and the Law: What Am I Allowed to Do Versus What Should I Do? Journal of Physician Assistant Education (2019
  • Stop My Dad's Suffering: Bridging the Gap Between Comfort Care and Euthanasia Society of Critical Care Medicine ( 2019)
(470) 793-7744 Send a message
Friendly photo of Joseph Bertino

Joseph Bertino

PhD, HEC-C

Director of Clinical Ethics

Photo of Jessica GInsberg

Jessica Rogers

JD, MBE, HEC–C

Director of Clinical Ethics Fellowship

Jessica Rogers is a Clinical Ethicist at Wellstar. Jessica received her BA in Middle East and South Asian Studies from Emory University. Thereafter, she enrolled in a dual degree graduate program where she received her Juris Doctor and Master of Arts in Bioethics at Emory University. After graduating, she practiced workers’ compensation law in Atlanta. Jessica then completed the Wellstar Fellowship in Clinical Ethics. She is thrilled to continue her career in clinical ethics as a Clinical Ethicist at Wellstar. Jessica’s areas of interest include legal and ethical issues in reproductive ethics, end of life ethics, organ donation and transplantation ethics, the intersection of law, religion and bioethics, and clinical ethics consultation.

Publications

  • To Procure or Not to Procure: Hospitals Face Significant Ethical Dilemmas Regarding Organ Donation During the COVID-19 Pandemic The American Journal of Bioethics (2020)
  • Avoid Myths When Considering ‘Death with Dignity’ Bills The Augusta Chronicle (2020)
  • Balancing Scientific Progress With Pediatric Protections: No Direct Benefit Now, But Potential Novel Therapy in the Future The American Journal of Bioethics (2020)
  • When a Coronavirus Patient Requests to Leave AMA Journal of Radiology Nursing (2020)
Friendly photo of Mary Ann Brown

Mary-Ann Brown

MSN, RN, HEC-C

Clinical Ethicist

A friendly photo of Mike Vaughan

Mike Vaughan

JD, LLM, MPH, HEC-C

Clinical Ethicist

A friendly photo of Charles Barclay

Charles Barclay

PhD, Msc, MA, HEC-C

Clinical Ethicist

Friendly photo of Anna Meurer

Anna Meurer

MPH, PhD(c)

Clinical Ethicist

A friendly photo to Abby Kovan

Abby Kovan

MS CCC-SLP

Clinical Ethicist

A friendly photo of Brigitte Swartwood

Brigitte Swartwood

PhD

Clinical Ethicist, Specialization in Moral Distress

A friendly headshot of David Reis

David Reis

PhD

Manager of Ethics Research and Internship Program

Dr. David Reis is a researcher with a background in behavioral neuroscience and one of the program coordinators for the Wellstar Ethics Program. At Wellstar, Dr. Reis is involved in all aspects of research conducted in the Ethics Program, including grant writing, data analysis, and the development of research protocols and ethics curricula. He received his BA in neuroscience from Carthage College and went on to earn his MS and PhD in psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he studied the behavioral and molecular mechanisms underlying learning and memory. Dr. Reis has also completed post-doctoral training in the psychology department at Emory University in Atlanta where he studied the effects of emotional salience on various forms of learning. With expertise in behavioral research, his current research interests are focused around identifying contextual influences of ethical behavior and decision-making within organizations and uncovering novel ways to promote and improve ethical culture and climate.

Publications

  • Now is the Perfect Time to Ask Your Employees About Their Moral Distress Ethical Systems (2020)
  • Decreased Cued Fear Discrimination Learning in Female Rats as a Function of Estrous Phase Learning & Memory (2019)
  • Memory Formation for Trace Fear Conditioning Requires Ubiquitin-Proteasome Mediated Protein Degradation in the Prefrontal Cortex Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience (2013)
  • Optogenetic Stimulation of the Basolateral Amygdala Accelerates Acquisition of Object-Context Associations Behavioral Neuroscience
A friendly photo of Rhonda Owens

Rhonda Owens

Administrative Assistant

Friendly photo of Lily Landwermeyer

Lily Landwermeyer

Ethics Program Coordinator

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