Chief Healthcare Ethicist
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Contact
MC Sullivan
Chief Health Care Ethicist
Office: 617-746-5734
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As Catholics, we recognize that we are physical, emotional, social and spiritual beings. We flourish when we nurture and care for each other in all these aspects of our humanity.
The Chief Healthcare Ethicist office directs or is engaged in programs that address all of these areas, creating a mosaic of activities that embrace what is called Whole Person Care.
Among them:- Initiative for Palliative Care and Advance Care Planning
- Kids’ Healthy Minds: an initiative in youth mental health in partnership with Franciscan Children’s Hospital
- Archdiocesan Opioid Task Force
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Initiative for Palliative Care and Advance Care Planning
The Archdiocese of Boston Initiative for Palliative Care and Advance Care Planning was established in 2015. Its goal is to provide education, outreach, and advocacy that will create an informed public about palliative care, a multidisciplinary approach to the care of the seriously ill which is patient-centered and family-oriented. The program also supports, promotes and provides education about Advance Care Planning which allows people to discuss and make known their wishes for care in anticipation of a time when they cannot speak for themselves. Most importantly, the Advance Care Planning component of the initiative provides information about how to designate a healthcare proxy or surrogate decision-maker who will be their voice when they can no longer make or articulate their healthcare decisions.
Resources for Palliative and Advance Care Planning
Palliative Care Series on CatholicTV
The second season of our two-season program, Talking of Palliative Care, is now available on Catholic TV. Each season consists of thirteen half-hour episodes, each dedicated to a specific topic in Palliative Care. The full program is available on the Catholic TV website for streaming at your convenience.
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Samaritanus Bonus --
Letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the Care of Persons in the Critical and Terminal Phases of LifeThe Vatican has recently published a letter, approved by Pope Francis, in response to the growing number of activities and legislative proposals globally that support euthanasia and assisted suicide.
In Massachusetts, a proposed bill to legalize Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) is currently under consideration. Please see the website of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference (https://www.macatholic.org) for details and suggestions for action.
Learn More
If Not Now...When?
View the Webinar
Advance Care Planning Conversations That We All Need to Have
PDF of webinar PowerPoint slides
Handouts