Kudos to Authors: End-of-Life Ethics in a Changing World

A CPB staff member, a board member and a former student have all contributed chapters to a new book published by Hospice Foundation of America, End-of-Life Ethics in a Changing World.

In the chapter “Cultural Humility: Necessary but Insufficient for Equitable Access to Care,” Board Member Karen Bullock, PhD, LCSW, FGSA, APHSW-C, and co-author with Ramona Bullock-Johnson, MSW, LCSW, LADC-I, address the racial and ethnic factors that create barriers to equitable care and the need for providers to achieve cultural competence in order to provide goal-concordant, patient-centered care.

Kelstan Ellis, DO, MS-CR, MBE, and co-author Jenni Linebarger, MD, MPH, explore the role of third-party decision makers, medically appropriate interventions and uncertainty in their chapter, “Ethical Issues in Pediatric Care at the End of Life.” Kelstan studied for her Master’s in Bioethics in classes taught by our staff at Kansas City University.

Last but not least, in “Effective Ethics Committees for Hospices: A Practical Guide,” our staff member Ryan Pferdehirt, D. Bioethics, HEC-C, describes how and why it makes sense for hospice organizations to create ethics committees.