Ruth Gaare Bernheim, JD, MPH¹, Alan Melnick, MD, MPH², Kathy Vincent³, James G. Hodge, JD, LLM⁴, David Anderson⁵, Steven Gravely, MHA, JD⁶, Clayton Williams, MPH⁷, Magdalena Merrill, MPH⁷, Terry Brandenburg⁸, V. James Guillory, DO, MPH⁹, Beth Quill, MPH¹⁰, Jody Henry Hershey, MD, MPH¹¹, Michael Sage, BS, MPH¹², and Joseph Kimbrell, MA, LCSW¹³. (1) Institute for Practical Ethics and Public Life, University of Virginia, PO Box 400800, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4800, 434-924-3487, rg3r@virginia.edu, (2) Family Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, (3) Alabama Department of Public Health, The RSA Tower, Suite 1552, P. O. Box 303017, Montgomery, AL 36130, (4) Center for the Law and the Public's Health, Georgetown University/Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Law, NIH Genetics Legislation: Syntax, Science, and Policy, P.O. Box 76305, Washington, DC 20013-6305, (5) Office of Clackamas County Counsel, Office of Clackamas County, Public Services Building, Ste. 454, 2051 Kaen Rd., Oregon City, OR 97045, (6) Troutman Sanders LLP, P.O. Box 1122, Richmond, VA 23218, (7) Public Health Leadership Society, 1600 Canal Street, Suite 1028, New Orleans, LA 70112, (8) West Allis Health Department, 7120 W. National Avenue, West Allis, WI 53214, (9) Departments of Preventive Medicine and Family Medicine, University of Health Sciences, 1750 Independence Ave, Kansas City, MO 64106-1453, (10) School of Public Health, University of Texas-Houston, Center for Excellence in Public Health Practice, 1200 Herman Pressler Suite W236, Houston, TX 77030, (11) New River Health District, 210 S. Pepper St., Suite A, Christianburg, VA 24073, (12) National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, MS F-28, Atlanta, GA 30341, (13) Louisiana Public Health Institute, 1600 Canal Street, Suite 1028, New Orleans, LA 70112

In 2001, the Public Health Leadership Society (PHLS) led the process of developing a code of ethics for public health, the Principles of the Ethical Practice of Public Health (increasingly known as the Code). A concise statement of public health values to which public health practice organizations should aspire, the Code is a document that can help clarify the distinctive ethical dilemmas faced by public health professionals, help guide decision-making of public health organizations, and ultimately increase the status and visibility of the public health profession. While a growing number of national and local public health organizations have officially recognized the Code, many practitioners within these organizations are either unaware of its existence or have been unable to use the Code in their work. Using a series of prompting questions, the participants in this session will help inform the development of a practical framework for using the Code. The 1.5 hour session will be divided into two parts: 1) remarks from a panel of seasoned public health professionals from academia and national, state, and local public health organizations who will reflect on their experiences and challenges associated with the promotion of ethical practice in their organizations; and 2) a facilitated discussion involving panel and session participants. We anticipate this discussion will begin to address the challenge of making the Code user-friendly for practitioners facing ethical dilemmas in everyday practice.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the distinctive characteristics of public health ethics
• Deepen the understanding of the Code and its application
• Come away with practical tools that help guide the practice of public health organizations
• Contribute to the development of a framework to guide public health decision-makers through ethical dilemmas

Keywords: Ethics, Decision-Making

Related Web page: www.phls.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.