Have an ethics question?

Making health care decisions for yourself, your family or others is sometimes hard.

The Legacy Clinical Ethics Program can help. We have a team of ethics consultants –– volunteers from Legacy and the community –– trained to address difficult questions in health care.

We offer free consults and advice, aiming to resolve ethical issues by exploring choices in a respectful manner.

• Explore who can make health care decisions when a patient is unable 
• Discuss how health care choices are made within laws and policies
• Explore patient and family preferences as well as cultural and spiritual beliefs
• Organize conversations between patients, families, doctors and care team members  
• Explain patient rights, informed consent, confidentiality, Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) and Advanced Directives 
• Address stress and concerns among staff, patients, family and others

Anyone–patients, family members, health care team members and others–can ask for an ethics consultation by calling the numbers below and asking for the ethics consultant on-call. We aim to return the call within one business day. 

Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Some hospitals may have extended hours.

Legacy Emanuel Medical Center (pager): 503-938-0028 (Monday–Sunday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.)
Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center: 503-413-7711 
Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center: 503-692-1212 (ask for nursing supervisor) 
Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center: 503-674-1122 
Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center: 360-487-1000
Legacy Silverton Medical Center: 503-873-1500
Legacy Hospice Services: 503-413-7711
Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel: 503-413-2200 (ask for Pediatric Ethics Service)
Unity Center for Behavioral Health (pager): 503-938-0028 (Monday–Sunday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.)