Fellowship Opportunity

University Health is offering a fellowship to a qualified applicant in Clinical Ethics under the supervision of the Director of Ethics. The fellowship is designed to provide the applicant practical experiences in addressing clinical and organizational ethical issues in a dynamic, publicly funded health system and Level I trauma center.

We are seeking an individual ready to make an impact by participating in activities that expand ethics services and education within University Health.

The successful applicant will gain experience in clinical ethics consultation as a member of the Ethics Services department. The Ethics Services department provides ethics consultation services, education and policy support throughout the University Health.

Fellowship Overview

The fellowship is a one-year program and is eligible for a one-year renewal. The fellowship is designed to provide the applicant practical experiences in addressing clinical and organizational ethical issues in a dynamic, publicly funded health system and Level I trauma center.

By fellowship’s end, the fellow should have the necessary skills defined by the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities to take the Healthcare Ethics Consultant Certification Exam.

The fellow will receive a stipend and a generous benefits package. Applications are accepted on a rotating basis. Please check the careers site for updates.

What to Expect

The ethics fellow will:

• Participate in joint care conferences with behavioral health specialist to explore challenges in providing care to persons with significant medical and psychiatric challenges.
• Interact with physicians, nurses and case managers by participating in scheduled unit rounds
• Make daily rounds in multiple ICUs
• Assist in policy development and educate staff on a variety of ethics issues
• Have an opportunity to become an Independent Living Donor Advocates for persons considering living kidney or liver donation.
• Participate in ethics consultations, family meetings, and interdisciplinary team discussions with progressive levels of responsibility under the supervision of the Director of Ethics Services
• Be an active member of the University Health Bioethics Committee, which allows the fellow the chance to interact with health care providers from various specialties and appreciate the unique challenges they face

About University Health

University Health hosts a Nurse Ethics Council which meets monthly to discuss the challenges and concerns faced by nursing staff, social work, Child Life and others, including issues of moral distress, dealing with challenging patient, social media policies, pain management and organizational issues encountered by bedside providers.

University Health is the teaching facility of UT Health San Antonio. Educational opportunities and resources are available through the Charles E. Cheever Jr. Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics. Fellows participate in the Greater San Antonio Ethics forum, where representatives meet monthly to discuss common issues across the region.

University Health Specialty Services

• Cardiology
• Maternal/child health
• Neurology
• Oncology
• Pediatrics
• Psychiatry
• Pulmonary
• Rehabilitation
• Supportive care
• Transplant
• Trauma

[1]“Health Care Ethics Consultation: An Update on Core Competencies and Emerging Standards from the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities’ Core Competencies Update Task Force”, by Anita J. Tarzian. Published in The American Journal of Bioethics, 13(2): 3-13, 2013. See also www.asbh.org/publications.