Cleveland Fellowship in Advanced Bioethics

The Cleveland Fellowship in Advanced Bioethics (CFAB) is a two-year, full-time program designed to train the next generation of leaders in the field of bioethics. Applications will be considered from professionals with terminal post-graduate degrees in medicine, philosophy, nursing, social work, religious studies, law, and other fields related to the practice of clinical and academic bioethics. Completed applications must be submitted by November 1 and the starting date for the fellowship is July 1 of each year.

CFAB represents an educational partnership among five premier institutions in Cleveland: Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), MetroHealth Medical Center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Hospital. The Fellowship is supported by a generous grant through the Cleveland Foundation. Through a solid history of collaboration in training students in the CWRU Master of Arts Program in Bioethics, and working together to provide educational opportunities for colleagues at area hospitals and universities, these institutions have cemented the relationships that ensure fellows access to broad resources in the field. Each partner organization offers the following:

Cleveland Clinic's Department of Bioethics, one of the oldest and most well-established departments of its kind in the country, serves as the organizational home for the program.
The CWRU Department of Bioethics has world-renowned faculty, rich graduate and undergraduate bioethics programs, and strong collaborative relationships with bioethics centers in other countries.
University Hospitals' Case Medical Center, with one of the region's most active Ethics Consultation Services, offers a broad array of training experiences both on the Main Campus and through its relationships with community hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation facilities.
MetroHealth Medical Center, Center for Biomedical Ethics provides education, service and research regarding the ethical dimensions of the delivery and practice of health care in support of MetroHealth Medical Center, Cuyahoga County's primary hospital and de facto safety-net for the region's poor.
Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center - providing health services and education for Northeast Ohio veterans.

Program Description

The CFAB program is designed to train the next generation of highly skilled bioethicists whose expertise is well-grounded in the clinical environment. This full-time two-year program ensures a strong foundation in clinical, scholarly and institutional components of the bioethics profession while advancing fellows' individual interests and career goals. Requirements for graduation from the program include completion of the CFAB curriculum, ethics consultation training, an empirical or conceptual research contribution, and involvement in a community engagement initiative. In conjunction with an adviser, each fellow develops a two-year program plan encompassing core activities and concentration in either a clinical- or research-oriented track. CFAB offers faculty expertise and the resources of multiple health care organizations in Cleveland to support each fellow’s ability to contribute to the field of Bioethics.

Components of the CFAB Fellowship

CFAB components for all fellows include:

Engaging in advanced study of key issues in Bioethics
Observing and conducting clinical ethics consultation, encompassing a minimum of 16 weeks of clinical ethics consultation service over the two years of fellowship
Participating in departmental bioethics activities at affiliated institutions
Completing a scholarly project
Submitting at least one manuscript for publication
Presenting research at works-in-progress meetings
Participating in CFAB seminar series and journal club
Developing and presenting formal lectures
Submitting abstracts for presentation at conferences
Completing a community engagement initiative

Overall Goals

Comprehensive knowledge of key bioethics topics
Proficiency or expertise in clinical ethics consultation (please refer to CFAB Areas of Concentration section below)
Skills in locating and critically reading bioethics literature
Experience in presenting and discussing core concepts in clinically-grounded bioethics at a post-graduate level
Acquisition of professional skills for academic achievement in the field of bioethics, including research, CV development, and career building

July/August

First-year fellows’ orientation to the medical environment and healthcare literacy

Ward basics
Introduction to ethics consultation
Common consult case types; ICU issues
Teaching/Learning Seminar series
Research Team Meetings
Rotations at partner institutions (VA/Metro; UH)
Introduction to key issues in clinical ethics
- Scope of practice of the bioethics consultant
- Defining ethical issues during consultation
- Futility, unwarranted treatments; unilateral decision-making by medical staff
- Withholding medically provided nutrition/hydration
- Surrogate decision-making
- Assessing capacity
- Institutional policies on informed consent and resuscitation
- Review of ASBH Core Competencies

Clinical Ethics Consultation Training

Initiation to the practice of ethics consultation through observing and shadowing faculty
Participation in on-call ethics consultation services at affiliated institutions, with growing independence over two-year program (please refer to CFAB Areas of Concentration section below)
Maintenance of individual consultation portfolio

Core Skills in Bioethics

Seminars in research methods and professional advancement skills:
- Research methods
- Publication skills
- Grant writing
- Career development
- Collaborative writing
- Local/national service
- Leadership development

Journal Club

Goals: Critical literature review and related teaching skills
Topics and discussion driven by fellows’ research interests
Faculty partner for each session
Meets every other month

Core Issues Seminars

Goal: In-depth, post-graduate level understanding of core areas of bioethics
CFAB faculty members provide key articles and facilitate discussion
Fellows responsible for advancing discussion by contributing additional readings
Meets every other month over two years

End of life issues
Informed consent and capacity
Organ transplantation
Reproductive ethics
Pediatric ethics
Neuroethics
Genetics
Public Health, Policy, Health Care Systems
Research ethics
Religion, culture, and ethics
Enhancements and innovative therapies
Euthanasia and PAS

Community Engagement:

CFAB faculty recognize that the public sector receives information about bioethical complexities from a number of sources, many of which lack a firm grounding in the realities of medical practice or ethical theory. For this reason, CFAB fellows help local community members learn about important issues in bioethics through engagement in educational offerings. In general, CFAB Community Engagement initiatives target and encourage dialogue with various constituencies such as community organizations, health care professionals practicing outside of the collaborating CFAB institutions, students, government officials, religious groups, or businesses.

CFAB Areas of Concentration

Fellows will choose either the Clinical Ethics or Bioethics Research track.

Clinical Ethics Track:

The Clinical Ethics Track is designed to prepare the fellow to achieve independence as a clinical bioethicist. The CFAB curriculum fosters multiple areas of expertise, including ethics consultation, teaching and scholarship, policy development and other institutional service activities. Through integration in the ethics programs at the Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth Medical Center, the Louis B. Stokes VA Medical Center, and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, fellows will have the opportunity to develop ethics consultation skills, analyze ethical dilemmas, and become familiar with organizational, disciplinary, and policy influences on clinical ethics. Fellows begin gaining experience in ethics consultation during the first year through accompanying staff ethicists on consults at the Cleveland Clinic and at least one other site, and through participation in case review activities. Second year fellows take on increasing consultation responsibilities beyond the core activity requirements, with a goal of developing independence in ethics consultation by the end of the fellowship. Fellows also attend ethics committee meetings at participating institutions, provide clinical ethics education in multidisciplinary rounds and other clinical and classroom settings, and develop skills in presenting case analyses both for teaching and quality improvement purposes. Most CFAB fellows on the Clinical Ethics Track will have participated in over 100 ethics consultations by the end of the second year of fellowship.

Bioethics Research Track:

The research track is designed to provide fellows with the experience and tools to launch a career in clinically grounded bioethics research. Fellows are paired with a research adviser to assist in identifying appropriate goals with respect to research development and productivity, and to develop a timeline for achieving objectives appropriate for each fellow's career goals. The substantial and diverse resources within CFAB-affiliated institutions include coursework in empirical research methods; administrative, regulatory and biostatistical support for research projects conducted during the fellowship; and mentoring assistance with preparation of scholarly manuscripts, grant-writing and other skills supporting a career in research. While some clinical ethics consultation service continues during the second year of the fellowship for research track fellows, the balance of experiences facilitates participation in research. Research track fellows are expected to develop a strong publication and teaching portfolio, as well as to gain exposure and presence in the national bioethics arena through conference attendance and participation.

CWRU Master of Arts in Bioethics Program

Fellows may choose to obtain a masters degree in Bioethics. CWRU offers CFAB fellows a special tuition rate, to be paid by the fellow. If enrolling in the master’s program, fellows must complete all degree requirements before starting the second year of fellowship unless special permission has been obtained from both the CFAB Program Directors and the master’s program director.

Stipends

Stipends of $40,000 per year plus benefits are available for candidates from the United States, competitive with local fellowship and residency salaries. Benefits include health insurance through the Cleveland Clinic Health System and yearly educational travel funds. Funds are not provided for relocation expenses.

If you are interested in learning more or applying as a candidate for the Cleveland Fellowship in Advanced Bioethics, please contact:

Mary Adams
CFAB Program Coordinator
Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Avenue - JJ60
Cleveland, OH 44195
Phone: 216.445.2739
Email: adamsm@ccf.org

Kathryn L. Weise, MD, M.A.
CFAB Program Director
Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Avenue - JJ60
Cleveland, OH 44195
Phone: 216.444.8720
Email: weisek@ccf.org

Class of 2012-2014

Cristie Cole, JD

JD, University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law, Tucson, AZ
BA, Biology and Society (Health and Society Theme), Law and Society Concentration, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Lauren Flicker, JD

JD, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, PA
MBE, Bioethics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
BA, Law & Society, Theater, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH

Class of 2011-2013

Jalayne Arias, JD

CV and Biosketch

JD, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
BA, International Studies (Political Sicence Emphasis), Pepperdine University, Seaver College, Malibu, CA

Danielle Wenner, PhD

PhD, Philosophy, Rice University, Houston, TX
MA, Philosophy, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
BA, Philosophy, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA

Class of 2010-2012

Joshua Crites, PhD

2012 - Assistant Professor, Dept. of Humanities, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA

PhD, Philosophy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
MA, Philosophy, Kent State University, Kent, OH
BA, Philosophy, Kent State University, Kent, OH

Thomas Harter, PhD

2012 - Associate Clinical Ethicist, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation, La Crosse, WI

PhD, Philosophy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
MA, Philosophy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
BA, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Radford University, Radford, VA

Olubukunola Mary Tawose, JD

2012 - Staff Clinical Ethicist at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC

JD, St. Louis University School of Law, St. Louis, MO
Health Care Ethics Certificate, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO
BA, History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science and Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
JD, St. Louis University School of Law, St. Louis, MOHealth Care Ethics Certificate, St. Louis University, St. Louis,
MOBA, History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science and Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Class of 2009-2011

Valarie Blake, JD

2011- Senior Research Associate in Ethics Standards, American Medical Association, Chicago, IL

JD, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Pittsburgh, PA
BS, Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Laura Buccini, PhD

2012 - Associate Staff, Cleveland Clinic Digestive Disease Institute and Transplant Center

DPH, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
Graduate Certificate of Bioethics, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH
MPH, Behavioral Health Science, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
BA, Psychology, Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN

E. Charlisse Caga-Anan, JD

2013 - Health Sciences Specialist, Host Susceptibility Factors Branch, Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Services, National Cancer Institute
2011 - Fellow, Ctr. for Genetic Research Ethics & Law, Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH

JD, University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, MN
BA, English, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Class of 2008-2010

Courtenay Bruce, JD

2012 - Director of the Methodist Hospital Ethics Program at the Texas Medical Center
2011 - Assistant Professor Center for Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

MA, Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
JD, University of Houston Law Center, Houston, TX
BA, Political Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

Barbara Chubak, MD

2010 - Resident in Urology at Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY

MA, Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
M.D., Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
MA, Johns Hopkins Institute for the History of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
BA, History, Columbia University, New York, NY

Monica Gerrek, PhD

2013 - Clinical Bioethicist/Educator, Summa Health System, Akron, OH
2011 - Director of Ethics Education at MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH
2010 - Lecturer, Cleveland State University

Research Associate, Department of Bioethics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
PhD, Philosophy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
MA, Philosophy, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH
BS, Business Administration, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH

(Back Row: Margot Eves, JD, Hafzah Mueenuddin, JD, Courtenay Bruce, JD, Kathryn Weise, MD, Monica Gerreck, PhD, Barbara Chubak, MD, Front Row: Jason Gatliff, PhD, Mary Adams)

Class of 2007-2009

Hafzah Mueenuddin, JD

MA, Master of Arts in Bioethics
JD, Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Cleveland, OH
BS, Biology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

Margot Eves, JD

2011 - Cleveland Clinic Health System Regional Bioethicist, Assistant Staff, Dept. of Bioethics, Cleveland Clinic
2009 - Fellow, Clinical Ethics, Southern & Central Illinois Advisory Group for Ethics, Memorial Medical Center

MA, Master of Arts in Bioethics
JD, Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, NJ
MA, Health Advocacy - Sarah Lawrence College
BA, Health and Exercise Science - Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC

Jason Gatliff, PhD

2009 - Integrated Ethics Program Officer, Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH
2009 - Director of Ethics Consultation, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH

PhD, Applied Philosophy, Bowling Green State University
MA, Philosophy, Texas A&M University
MA, History, Boise State University
BA, Philosophy, Boise State University

Eric Kodish, MD

CFAB Executive Director
Director, Center for Ethics, Humanities and Spiritual Care
F.J. O'Neill Professor and Chairman, Department of Bioethics, Cleveland Clinic
Professor, Case Western Reserve University
Staff, Cleveland Clinic Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
Staff, Cleveland Clinic Genomic Medicine Institute
Interests: Pediatric Ethics; Clinical Research; Informed Consent; Oncology and Transplantation

Kathryn Weise, MD, MA

Program Director, Cleveland Fellowship in Advanced Bioethics
Staff, Cleveland Clinic Pediatric Institute
Adjunct Faculty, Case Western Reserve University Department of Bioethics
Adjunct Faculty, Cleveland State University Bioethics Center
Interests: Pediatric Critical Care; Pediatric Ethics; Professional Ethics; Pediatric Palliative Medicine

Stuart Youngner, MD

Chairman of Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University
Professor of Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University
Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Interests: End-of-Life Decision Making; Organ Transplantation; Clinical Ethics Consultation; Definition of Death; Malpractice

Mark Aulisio, PhD

Director, Center for Biomedical Ethics, MetroHealth Medical Center
Director, MA Program in Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University
Associate Professor of Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University
Interests: Intersection of Political Philosophy and Bioethics; Ethics Consultation; Principle of Double Effect; Organ Donation

Barbara Daly, RN, PhD, FAAN

Director of Clinical Ethics, University Hospitals Case Medical Center
Professor of Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University
Professor of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University
Professor of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
Interests: Clinical Ethics Consultation; End of life Decision Making and Treatment Limitation; Healthcare Allocation Issues

Murray Altose, MD

Chief of Staff, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Professor of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
Interests: Health care quality improvement and systems redesign

Jessica Wilen Berg, JD

Professor of Law; Professor of Bioethics; Professor of Public Health, Case Western Reserve University
Interests: Bioethics and Law; Informed Consent and Advance Directives; Research Regulation; Assisted Reproductive Technologies, E-Medicine, Public Health

Michelle L. McGowan, PhD

Assistant Professor of Bioethics, Department of Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University
Women’s and Gender Studies Program Faculty, Case Western Reserve University
Interests: Social and ethical implications of reproductive and genetic technologies, feminist approaches to bioethics, gender in medicine and biomedical research

Margot Eves, JD, MA

Assistant Staff, Department of Bioethics, Center for Ethics, Humanities, and Spiritual Care
Interests: End-of-life issues, roles of physicians in ethics consultation, surrogate decision making, decision making among large families

External Advisory Board

Christine Grady, RN, PhD, FAAN

Head, Section on Human Subjects Research, Department of Clinical Bioethics, National Institutes of Health

Mark Siegler, MD

Director, MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, The University of Chicago Medical Center

Jonathan Moreno, PhD

David and Lyn Silfen University Professor and Professor of Medical Ethics and the History and Sociology of Science, University of Pennsylvania

Arthur Kohrman, MD, FAAP

Professor Emeritus, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Bernard Lo, MD

Director, Program in Medical Ethics, University of California San Francisco

To apply, candidates must submit the following by November 1:

A cover letter explaining your qualifications for this fellowship with a statement of your objectives.
A current curriculum vitae including education and/or activities pertaining to bioethics.
Three letters of recommendation, at least one commenting on your abilities as an adult learner (submitted directly)
One to three examples of scholarly written work

Candidates must be citizens of the U.S. or permanent residents. Priority will be given to applicants with strong potential for leadership in the field and who will most benefit from the rich clinical environment this program offers.

Applications will not be considered until all materials are received. If you are accepted into the program, further documentation will be required including transcripts. Please send materials electronically (electronic applications are preferred) or in hard copy to:

Mary Adams

Fellowship Coordinator
Department of Bioethics
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
9500 Euclid Ave., JJ-60
Cleveland, OH 44195
Phone: 216.445.2739
Email: adamsm@ccf.org

Non-smoking hiring policy

To take further steps in preserving and improving the health of all its employees and patients, Cleveland Clinic has implemented a nonsmoking hiring policy requiring all job applicants and individuals receiving appointments to take a cotinine test during their pre-placement physical exam. This is a pre-employment test only. The cotinine test will detect the presence of nicotine in all forms of tobacco. Anyone testing positive will have their employment offer rescinded and receive a referral to a tobacco cessation program paid for by Cleveland Clinic.