Terry and Jennie talk with Mark Carr, Regional Director of Ethics for Providence Hospital. We discuss how ethics committees work in hospitals, and just what the Joint Commission is. Mark talks about what we learned, and what changes we had to make, during the pandemic. Mark and Terry are both experts in the area of medical ethics, so be prepared for a fascinating (and quite wonky) discussion about how we prioritize healthcare resources as a society during a crisis.

Links and resources:

• Ethical Framework for Transitions Between Conventional, Contingency, and Crisis Conditions in Pervasive or Catastrophic Public Health Events with Medical Surge Implications, Minnesota Crisis Standards of Care: https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/ep/surge/crisis/framework_transitions.pdf

• The Area Deprivation Index, from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health: https://www.neighborhoodatlas.medicine.wisc.edu/

The CDC Social Vulnerability Index: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/index.html