Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society
https://www.vumc.org/cbmes/center-biomedical-ethics-and-society-vanderbilt
Center Mission
The mission of the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society (CBES or Center) is to provide leadership in education, research, and clinical service at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) concerning the ethical, legal, and social dimensions of medicine, health care, and health policy. The Center is committed to multi-disciplinary exploration of the individual and social values, cultural dynamics, and legal and professional standards that characterize and influence clinical practice and biomedical research. The Center aims to be a catalyst for collaboration in teaching, research, and practice at Vanderbilt and to contribute to scholarship and policy making from the local to the international level. Please visit the website for more information on opportunities, services and projects. Some specifics are noted below. If you have any questions, please reach out. allison.mccarthy@vumc.org
Ethics Consultation Service
https://www.vumc.org/cbmes/clinical-ethics-consults
Clinical ethics consultation is provided by CBES faculty. The Clinical Ethics Consultation Service [CECS] gets about 30-50 consults per month, and responds to requests for support in addressing ethical questions and conflicts in patient care as well as the moral impact of caring for others. The CECS is a resource for inpatient and outpatient settings across VUMC and the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network (VHAN). Clinical ethics consultation may be requested by any member of the VUMC faculty and staff, as well as patients, their surrogates and family members.
Broadly, ethics consultants work with health care teams to discern medically appropriate care goals/options and milestones of effectiveness; they also help patients/families identify and explore relevant preferences and values in relation to their goals and medical options. The CECS aims to elevate patient care by improving health care decision making, promoting and supporting shared decision making, and by facilitating and encouraging respectful engagement of ethical concerns. No fees are charged for this service.
Ethics Opportunities
There are multiple opportunities for learning and experience at VUMC for students, faculty and staff from all disciplines and departments interested in ethics. Including the list below, the ethics faculty provide education and support in various classes and workshops at the Medical Center and to the broader Nashville community in various outreach efforts.
Conferences
- Ethics Grand Rounds: First Tuesday in April and November
- Speakers and panel discussions for the Medical Center community
- Research Conference: 3rd Monday, 3:30-5 pm at the Center
- Study development, data analysis, results reporting
- Ethics Case Conference: 4th Monday, 3:30-5 pm at the Center
- Case review and discussion with a clinical team and ethics faculty
- Ethical Care of Children with Cancer and Blood Disorders: 3rd Wednesday, 7:30-8:30 am, VCH
- Surgical Ethics MMI, 5th Wednesdays, 6:30-7:30 am, LH 214
Surgical Ethics
https://www.vumc.org/cbmes/surgical-ethics
Contact: Alex Langerman, MD, SM, FACS
Surgical Ethics in the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society provides the collaborative infrastructure for normative and empirical investigations into topics important to surgical patient care. We educate on these topics at Vanderbilt, disseminate our knowledge through publications and presentations internationally, and train students, residents, and faculty in surgical ethics research. Our mission is to enhance the quality and impact of surgical ethics in practice and scholarship.
Pediatric Ethics
Contact: Jessie Turnbull, MD, MA
Ethics topics are provided as part of pediatric resident conferences and the pediatric critical care fellowship. An ethics elective is also available for residents with both learning and experience opportunities.
Medical Ethics Elective for Pediatric Residents (more detail at https://spark-learn.app.vumc.org/login/index.php)
Objectives:
- Understand the American Board of Pediatrics Ethics content specifically for medical ethics
- Understand basic ethical principles and how to utilize these to guide ethical decision-making
- Understand methodologies such as the four-box method for critical thinking of ethical dilemmas
- Attend VUMC Ethics Committee Meeting and other learning opportunities
- Understand how to navigate and teach others how to use Vanderbilt Ethics Consultation
- Understand how the Ethics Consultation Service approaches documentation and data tracking
Health Information Management (Medical Record Operations)
Contact Person Name: Ros’e Gordon-Johnson, Assistant Director, HIM Operations and/or Susan Clark, Chart Correction/Transcription HDC
Contact Person Email: rose.gordon-johnson@vumc.org or susan.clark.1@vumc.org
Contact Person Phone Number: 615-343-7914 or 615-875-2553
Documentation Completion/Deficiency Tracking Email: recordcompletionteam@vumc.org
Bio: The Health Information Management (Medical Records Operations) team is here to assist with your documentation, transcription, chart correction, and scanning needs.
Health & Wellness
Contact Person Name: Mary Yarbrough, MD, MPH
Contact Person Email: health.wellness@vumc.org
Contact Person Phone Number: 615-936-0961
Bio: Health and Wellness is the award-winning umbrella division for three programs, Occupational Health Clinic, Work/Life Connections-EAP, and Health Plus. Our mission is to engage you with innovative programs that maximize productivity and well-being. There are multiple activities offered 24/7 at all Vanderbilt campuses. Within the last year, Health and Wellness has continued to add to services provided, including telehealth and virtual options for all programs, growing the Faculty & Physician Wellness Program and a updating Your Well-being Navigator to include well-being resources for coping with COVID19.
Website Link: https://www.vumc.org/health-wellness/
Health Plus
Contact Person Name: Brad Awalt
Contact Person Email: health.plus@vumc.org
Contact Person Phone Number: 615-343-8943
Bio: Health Plus promotes your well-being by helping you establish and maintain a healthy lifestyle. With programs centered around exercise, healthy eating, general well-being, and including the award-winning Go for the Gold incentive program, Health Plus helps you identify health risks and take action to reduce those risks.
Website Link: https://www.vumc.org/health-wellness/health-plus
Human Resources - Benefits Administration
Contact Person Name: Karen DeFosse
Contact Person Email: karen.e.defosse@vumc.org
Contact Person Phone Number: 615-875-9463
Website Link: https://hr.vumc.org/benefit
MarshMcLennan Agency
Contact Person Name: Marc Flur
Contact Person Email: marc.flur@marshmma.com
Contact Person Phone Number: 919-418-8630
Bio: Supplemental Long-Term Disability - Your earning potential is your most valuable asset, and it's vital to protect that income in case an injury or illness prevents you from working for an extended period of time. Group (employer benefits) are not sufficient to protect that income and individual benefits stack on top of any group benefits you may receive. Offered to House Staff through MarshMcLennan Agency, coverage is available with competitive discounted unisex rates and no medical underwriting. These policies are fully portable when you leave training and are specialty specific. This option is best for most residents because of the cost, quality of coverage and no medical underwriting. It is the best option on the market for all female physicians because of the unisex rates and all those with health issues because of no medical underwriting. All House Staff are eligible if actively at work for the past 180 days and haven’t been declined for individual disability in the past 7 years.
Please Note: This benefit has been vetted through VUMC Human Resources office and is an optional benefit which requires action from the individual House Staff.
Website Link: www.marshmma.com
Nashville Academy of Medicine & Tennessee Medical Association
Contact Person Name: Nikki Ringenberg
Contact Person Email: nringenberg@nashvillemedicine.org
Contact Person Phone Number: 615-712-6236
General Information: Get involved in the Nashville Academy of Medicine and the Tennessee Medical Association to have a larger impact on medicine and its practice in Nashville and Tennessee! Join over 2,300 local physicians and residents, including more than 200 Vanderbilt attending physicians and nearly 400 residents and fellows, to network with other physicians, engage in leadership development, participate in educational opportunities for physicians of all specialties (including residents and fellows), and advocate for the practice of medicine and the health of patients and our community. See what Leah Jesse, MD, a Vanderbilt Fellow and NAM/TMA member, has to say about why she joined and got involved at https://youtu.be/tnLD5DUMLi8. Complete your application and email it to nringenberg@nashvillemedicine.org to activate your free membership with your local and state medical societies.
Website Link: www.nashvillemedicine.org
Occupational Health Clinic
Contact Person Name: Lori Rolando, MD, MPH, FACOEM
Contact Person Email: occupational.health.clinic@vumc.org
Contact Person Phone Number: 615-936-0955
Bio: The Occupational Health Clinic protects you at work. OHC clinicians provide timely evaluation and treatment of work-related injuries, illnesses, and exposures. We also manage over 40 different programs to protect you against specific work hazards. Travel vaccines and pre-travel consultations are available at no charge for those going on international electives or other business travel. OHC also provides treatment for non-work-related minor illnesses. Telehealth options are available for those encounters that are amenable to virtual visits.
Website Link: https://www.vumc.org/health-wellness/occupational-health
PGY-Mom
Contact Person Name: Rachel Apple
Contact Person Email: rachel.apple@vumc.org
Contact Person Phone Number: 615-812-3547
Bio: PGY-Mom is a group dedicated to the unique needs and interests of physician moms in graduate medical training (residency or fellowship) at Vanderbilt. Formed in 2016, we have members from a wide variety of departments and specialties. Being a mom is not a requirement for membership; we want to support those who already have children as well as those just considering having children while in training. Starting in 2019, PGY-Mom has become a sub-group of the Vanderbilt Housestaff Alliance (VHA), which has allowed us to more formally partner with this great family-friendly organization on campus!
Website Link:https://www.vhalliance.org/pgy-mom
Rehabilitation Services
SHARE (Sexual Harassment: Awareness, Response, and Education)
Contact Person Name: Heather Kamper, LCSW
Contact Person Email: heather.a.kamper@vumc.org
Contact Person Phone Number: 615-936-1327
Bio: The SHARE Center offers confidential counseling and consultation to house staff who have experienced or witnessed workplace sexual harassment. The SHARE Center is designed to support individuals throughout their experiences.
Website Link: https://www.vumc.org/health-wellness/share-center
Tennessee Center for Health Workforce Development
Contact Person Name Daniel Jayroe
Contact Person Email: djayroe@tha.com
Contact Person Phone Number: 615-401-7463
Bio: The Tennessee Center for Health Workforce Development (TCWD) is a non-profit subsidiary of the Tennessee Hospital Association. TCWD exists to help physicians and other healthcare professionals locate practice opportunities in underserved areas in Tennessee (urban and rural) and offers incentives to help them succeed in their endeavors. If your specialty is in primary care or behavioral health, including Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, or Psychiatry, talk to us about how we can help!
Website Link: https://tncwd.com/
Tennessee Donor Services: Organ Procurement Organization
Contact Person Name: Nicole Russell
Contact Person Email: nicole.d.russell@vumc.org ; nicole.russell@dcids.org
Contact Person Phone Number:270-994-3088
General Information: Tennessee Donor Services (TDS) is Vanderbilt University Medical Center's (VUMC) assigned organ procurement agency. TDS works as an affiliate to VUMC under the guidance of Center of Medicare Services (CMS) . CMS has put forth guidelines we follow together to uphold organ and tissue donation. The guidelines we follow are the foundation of our organ and tissue donation policies at Vanderbilt. Please review the handout regarding the patient population that organ referrals should be made on to preserve the option of donation. It is important to remember to not mention donation to the patient or family regarding the referral as many of the patients may not have potential to donate. TDS has trained effective requestors that can offer the option of donation in collaboration with the medical team at the appropriate time. The determined time is planned with TDS and the staff involved in the patients medical care.
Tissue referrals are made after a patient has reached cardiac time of death. If the patient has a medical record number and the patient has been declared a referral should be made to TDS. Documentation of a referral to TDS is located in the patients report of death.
Website Link: https://dcids.org/
VUMC Child and Family Services
Contact Person Name: LeAnn Cole, Business Manager
Contact Person Email: leann.e.cole@vumc.org
Contact Person Phone Number: 615-343-8847
General Information: VUMC Child and Family Centers offer early childhood care and education for the children of VUMC employees in a safe and nurturing environment. The child care program serves children from six weeks old to age 5.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center full-time employees who are fully benefits-eligible are eligible to apply. A waiting list application form must be completed before your child can be placed on the waitlist. A $100 waiting list fee is required and will be payroll deducted in accordance with your pay schedule.
VUMC Child and Family Centers are open 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Friday. Center locations are as follows:
- Belcourt Child and Family Center - 2140 Belcourt Avenue
- Patterson Child and Family Center – 1817 Patterson Street
- Knob Child and Family Center – 5701 Knob Road
- Dakota Child and Family Center - 4108 Dakota Avenue
Website Link: For more detailed information about our program or other resources provided, please visit: https://hr.vumc.org/cfc
Vanderbilt Dayani Center
Contact Person Name: Carey Tomlinson
Contact Person Email: carey.a.tomlinson@vumc.org
Contact Person Phone Number: 615-322-4751
Bio: The Vanderbilt Dayani Center provides a transition from rehabilitation programs into exercise and wellness activities designed to promote long-term health. We offer Physical Therapy for the Medically Complex Patient, Aquatic Physical Therapy, Lymphedema Physical Therapy, Cancer Rehab, Medical Fitness for Exercise Prescriptions, Cardiac Rehab, and Pulmonary Rehab. The Vanderbilt Dayani Center’s multidisciplinary team of physical therapists, exercise physiologists, nurses, respiratory therapists, massage therapists, and a health psychologist work as an integrated team to promote positive lifestyle changes to treat and/or minimize acute and chronic disease. To Refer to physical therapy please use your ambulatory order set for PT eval and treat and select location to Dayani; for all other services search Dayani in your order sets.
Currently due to COVID membership has been frozen. Updated information will be posted when the facility reopens.
Website Link: https://www.vanderbilthealth.com/dayani/
Vanderbilt Housestaff Alliance
Contact Person Name: Taylor Santarelli, President
Contact Person Email: president@vhalliance.org
Bio: The Vanderbilt Housestaff Alliance is a non-profit social organization for spouses and significant others of residents and fellows. Our mission is to promote friendship among members, to foster a supportive environment and to serve the Nashville community. Spouses and significant others, we are here for you! When you join VHA you will have opportunities to explore Nashville and get connected with others in the Vanderbilt community through monthly adults-only and family-friendly events such as our Welcome BBQ Picnic, Brunch at the Zoo with VUMC, Kayaking down the Cumberland River, wine and truffle pairings with Tempered Fine Chocolates, concerts at the Grand Ole Opry and much more! Additionally, we have sub-groups including: Children's Playgroup and Book Club.
A favorite resource for exploring your new city is our Newcomers Guide, which can be found on our website and provides tried and true recommendations for everything you need in Nashville and more!
Website Link: www.vhalliance.org
Vanderbilt Interpreter Services
Contact Person Name: Hope Collins
Contact Person Email: hope.collins@vumc.org
Contact Person Phone Number: 615-322-7378
Bio: Vanderbilt interpreter Services helps patients who are deaf and hard of hearing, visually impaired or speak limited English.
Our services may be provided onsite, by video or by phone. Vanderbilt Health’s free interpreter services include:
- American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters
- Readers for patients who are visually impaired or blind
- Assistive listening devices
- Access patient materials that are assistive technology compatible for patients who are visually impaired or blind
- Access to qualified interpreters for patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
- Access to translated documents for patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
Website Link: https://www.vanderbilthealth.com/information/interpreter-services-staff-information
Vanderbilt Program for LGBTQ Health
Contact Email: lgbtq.health@vumc.org
Contact Person Phone Number: 615-936-3879
Bio: The Vanderbilt Program for LGBTQ Health is the second program of its kind at an academic medical center in the United States. We work to address LGBTQ health disparities, improve the health of LGBTQ patients, support education around LGBTQ health, and foster research on the optimal ways to care for LGBTQ patients and families. We act as patient navigators, train providers in LGBTQ-competent care, and support our transgender patients through our volunteer-run Trans Buddy Program.
Website Link: https://vumc.org/lgbtq
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lgbtq_health
Vanderbilt University David Williams II Recreation and Wellness Center
Contact Person Name: Kenny Moore, Rec Director
Contact Person Email: recdirector@vanderbilt.edu
Contact Person Phone Number: (615) 343-6627
Bio: For membership information pertaining to the David Williams II Recreation and Wellness Center please visit https://www.vanderbilt.edu/recreationandwellnesscenter/
Website Link: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/recreationandwellnesscenter/
Work/Life Connections-EAP
Contact Person Name: Jim Kendall, LCSW, CEAP
Contact Person Email: james.kendall@vumc.org
Contact Person Phone Number: 615-936-1327
Program Bio: The Faculty and Physician Wellness Program of Work/Life Connections-EAP is available to provide counseling and coaching to you and your spouse, if married, to elevate psychological resilience.
Website Link: https://www.vumc.org/health-wellness/worklife-connections
