Medical technology has advanced at a breathtaking pace. We can diagnose and heal patients in ways unthinkable just a few years ago. Yet this new technology sometimes create complex situations and difficult questions.
    You may find yourself in a position to decide issues of treatment, quality of life and maybe even death. And you may need help making the best decisions.
    Hutchinson Hospital has a Bioethics Committee that is available to discuss difficult issues. The committee is composed of professionals — doctors, nurses, clergy, social workers, and hospital administrators — who can be convened upon request.
    The Bioethics Committee is not a decision-making body. The committee is available to help gather information, offer the expertise of its members, and get additional advice when needed to help people make informed decisions.
    Issues appropriate for the Bioethics Committee include, but are not limited to:
            When or when not to treat a patient
            Use of respirators and feeding tubes
            Do-not-resuscitate orders
     Anyone involved in patient care, a family member or durable power of attorney agent, may request that the Bioethics Committee convene to review an issue. Reviews are arranged as expeditiously as possible.

For more information:
Luanne Haddaway, Director
Pastoral Care Department
(620) 665-2074
haddawayl@hhosp.com