Registration Open: Contemporary Issues in Healthcare Ethics – January 2025 Virtual Series

Session 1: Thursday, January 9, 2025, 12:00-1:15pm

AI in Healthcare: Legal and Ethical Challenges

Presented by Chad P. Brouillard, MA, JD, Partner, Foster & Eldridge, LLP

This presentation explores the unique legal risks and ethical challenges healthcare providers face when integrating artificial intelligence into healthcare, emphasizing issues such as liability, informed consent, data privacy, and decision-making accountability. It aims to provide thoughtful questions about navigating the balance between innovation and patient safety in an increasing AI-driven landscape.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the impact of the long history of artificial intelligence use in healthcare.
• Flag well-documented and unique risks and ethical challenges to the next generation of AI tech in healthcare.
• Avoid potential pitfalls related to AI use in healthcare

Session 2: Tuesday, January 14, 2025, 12:00-1:15pm

How Health Care Can Outgrow Bias

Presented by Tim Lahey, MD, MMSc, HEC-C, FACP, Director of Ethics at UVMMC and Professor of Medicine at UVM Larner College of Medicine

This presentation will discuss why bias mitigation is needed in health care, and the evidence behind some non-judgmental approaches.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the impact of bias on health care
• Identify evidence-based ways to mitigate personal and systemic bias in health care
• Discuss bias-related topics such as helpful versus unhelpful responses to bias and effective ways of improving community cohesiveness

Session 3: Tuesday, January 21, 2025, 12:00-1:15pm

Critical Issues in the Care of Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment

Presented by Michael LaMantia, MD, MHP, AGSF, FACP, Chief, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Portland (Oregon) VA Medical Center Associate Professor of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University

This presentation will discuss high impact topics in the care of cognitively impaired older adults including how to address driving safety, how to discuss firearms safety, and the use of medications to manage behavioral symptoms in distressed individuals.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss successful approaches to address driving safety.
• Describe practical steps to reduce firearm risk in the home.
• Discuss how to decrease distress among older adults who exhibit behavioral symptoms of dementia.

Session 4: Thursday, January 30, 2025, 12:00-1:15pm

Incapacitated Refusals & Vermont’s Ulysses Clause

Presented by Cindy Bruzzese, MPA, MSB, HEC-C – Executive Director & Clinical Ethicist, Vermont Ethics Network; Clinical Ethicist, UVM Medical Center

This presentation will review the ethical considerations and legal frameworks for treating incapacitated patients over their objection, outline the process for executing a Ulysses Clause and explore potential uses and limits of the Vermont Ulysses Clause provision.

Learning Objectives:

• Appreciate the ethical and legal frameworks that underpin approaches to incapacitated refusal
• Identify patients for whom a Ulysses Clause provision may be helpful
• Improve understanding of how to support patients in completing a Ulysses Clause provision