HomeAbout the HEC

about the hec

The Healthcare Ethics Consortium (HEC) is a nationally recognized center of excellence providing leadership in health care ethics education, reflection and practice.

The HEC was founded in January 1994 following a three-year planning period funded by Emory University and the Georgia Humanities Council. Healthcare professionals and health administrators statewide participated in the formation of a network of healthcare organizations that shared a common interest in bringing ethics analysis to patient care and organizational issues. The membership is comprised of hospitals and health systems, home health agencies, hospices, long-term care facilities, and other health-related organizations. The Consortium is affiliated with the Emory University Center for Ethics.

The Consortium provides educational programs and consultative services for healthcare professionals, healthcare organizations, and the community.

mission

The mission of the Healthcare Ethics Consortium (HEC) is to benefit health care organizations, healthcare professionals and ultimately recipients of care by supporting and encouraging the development of structures and practices that keep ethics central to healthcare.

vision

The HEC will become a nationally recognized center of excellence providing leadership in healthcare ethics education, reflection, and practice.

values

Ethical Reflection, Ethics Education, Commitment to Ethics at all Levels of the Organization, Communication, Respect for Individual (Recipients and Providers of Care), Collaboration, Open Dialogue and Debate.

VALUE statements

We place the highest value on the incorporation of ethical reflection in examining all facets of healthcare delivery.
We value the importance of ethics education in clinical and organizational settings.
We are committed to supporting healthcare organizations in keeping ethics central to system decisions at the highest level and throughout the organization.
We value the importance of communication between caregivers and patients, respect for diversity of values, and a collaborative and fully informed process for decision-making.
We value each healthcare recipient as an individual in need of care and as a member of the larger community.
We value each individual provider as a professional whose primary focus is the welfare of those individuals in his or her care.
In an era of intensive competition, we value collaboration among healthcare professionals and organizations.
We value open dialogue and debate on ethical issues at the clinical, organizational and public policy level.
We recognize the intrinsic value of HEC and will support the association's values within our practices and the work of our organization.