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MSK Bioethics Ambassadors Program (BAP): Program Overview

MSK Bioethics Ambassadors Program

The Bioethics Ambassadors Program is an interactive educational program designed to promote - throughout all MSK sites -  a deeper understanding of medical and clinical ethics and the ethical challenges that can arise during the delivery of oncology care.

What is a Bioethics Ambassador?

Bioethics Ambassadors are MSK professionals at both main campus and outpatient and regional sites who have received relevant Ethics education that empowers them to serve as “bioethics bridges” to the Ethics Committee and Ethics Consultation Service. Bioethics Ambassadors can play an increasingly vital role in supporting patients, caregivers, and other staff members, particular, at MSK’s outpatient and regional sites, as a growing number of patients choose to receive care at these locations. Bioethics Ambassadors will develop the analytic tools to help identify (at an early stage) the common ethical challenges faced during the delivery of oncology care in their settings. They will raise awareness of medical ethics at their sites and will be prepared to assist colleagues in real-time when ethical concerns arise, including requesting assistance from the Ethics Consultation Service and participating in consultations, when appropriate.

What are the Requirements to become a Bioethics Ambassador?

Participants must attend all 3 in-person, full day sessions at an MSK Manhattan site and 2 virtual, interactive, 120-minute classes. Travel stipends will be provided to regional staff. Each class will introduce different bioethics concepts, themes, or issues that MSK staff routinely encounter in the oncology setting, taught by a member of the Ethics Consultation team and at least one expert on that topic. Participants will be required to read a series of relevant articles provided by the instructors, answer/prepare/deliver remarks during class and complete a small individualized final project.  All participants must obtain approval from supervisors and/or site administrators.

Who is Eligible to Participate?

The Bioethics Ambassadors Program will have 25-30 participants per year, and is open to all MSK team members – both clinical and non-clinical: physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, social workers, administrative staff, leadership, etc. Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion and discipline-specific CME/CEUs credits.

When Will the Program Take Place?

Applications will be due June 15, 2024 and Ambassadors will be identified by July 2024. The in-person, full day classes are scheduled for September 13, 2024, December 13, 2024 and March 14, 2025. The virtual programs are scheduled for November 4, 2024 (10am-12pm) and February 28, 2025 (9am-11am). Graduation ceremony is scheduled for March 2025.


For More Information, please email Claire Murray at murrayc@mskcc.org.

Application: https://redcap.mskcc.org/surveys/?s=7CMF3P9YEPPEXCT4

Planning Committee

  • Liz Blackler, Program Manager, Ethics Committee
  • Monique James, Assistant Attending, Department of Psychiatry
  • Konstantina (Dina) Matsoukas, Research Informationist, MSK Library
  • Claire Murray, Specialist, Ethics Committee
  • Amy Scharf, Consultant, Ethics Committee
  • Louis Voigt, Chair, Ethics Committee

For more information, please contact:

Claire Murray, Specialist, Ethics Committee
murrayc@mskcc.org

T 646.888.8076
C 917.882.1910