Resources: Healthcare Dilemmas (by U.S. State)
Decency LLC maintains a list of resources for individuals constrained by legal, ethical, or other challenges in their healthcare or medical research roles. This page lists state-specific resources.
To return to the main page listing general and federal-level guidance by topic, click here.
If you are interested in historical information, you can try pasting any outdated links into the search engine here at https://web.archive.org/, which may be able to return snapshots of the linked page on different dates in the past.
Note:
This page can be a starting point for understanding what kinds of resources exist in any given topic area.
Although this information is compiled by DLLC, the company does not have a relationship to the cited sources, has not “vetted” the sources, and is not recommending their use.
DLLC is not a law firm, does not take on legal clients, and is not able to provide advice or tailor guidance to any specific case.
The information and opinions on this site do not include legal advice or the advice of a licensed healthcare provider.
Alaska
Information on the Alaska Regional Hospital ethics committee and its functions: https://www.alaskaregional.com/blog/entry/alaska-regional-hospital-s-ethics-committee
Arizona
Link here to the Arizona Medical Association (ArMA) Code of Medical Ethics and ArMA Principles of Medical Ethics: https://www.azmed.org/page/Code-of-Ethics
Arkansas
Information on the Ethics Consultation Service (ECS) provided by the Medical Ethics Advisory Committee at the University of Arkansas for Medical Services, link: https://medicine.uams.edu/humanities/support/clinical-support/clinical-ethics-consultation/
Link here for the Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline: https://humanservices.arkansas.gov/divisions-shared-services/children-family-services/how-to-report-child-abuse-neglect/
California
Link here for the MediCal Code of Ethics for Peer Support Specialists: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/Documents/CSD_BL/MediCal-Code-of-Ethics-for-Peer-Support-Specialists-in-California.pdf
Link here to information from the California Department of Social Services on mandated reporting: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/adult-protective-services/information-for-mandated-reporters
Link here for California child abuse reporting numbers: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/reporting/report-abuse/child-protective-services/report-child-abuse
Link here for information from the Medical Board of California relating to unlicensed healthcare practice: https://www.mbc.ca.gov/Consumers/unlicensed-practice.aspx
Link here for a California Department of Consumer Affairs license search database: https://search.dca.ca.gov/
Link here for healthcare data resources from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information: https://hcai.ca.gov/data-and-reports/a-z-content/
Link here to information on “Reporting Research Concerns and Complaints” at the University of California San Francisco: https://irb.ucsf.edu/reporting-research-concerns-and-complaints
Link here to information on referrals and approvals in California: https://www.dmhc.ca.gov/healthcareincalifornia/yourhealthcarerights/referralsandapprovals.aspx
Colorado
The Colorado Health Ethics Forum creates opportunities for collaborative deliberation and education on morally complex issues, link: https://www.coloradoethicsforum.org/what-we-do
Connecticut
The Yale New Haven Health System Center for Clinical Ethics provides confidential advice on complex healthcare decisions to patients, families, and hospital staff, link: https://www.ynhhs.org/patient-care/Patient-Rights-and-Responsibilities/center-for-clinical-ethics
Delaware
Information on the Ethics and Patient Rights Committee at Nemours Children’s Hospital: https://www.nemours.org/services/support/naidhcsupport/ethics-committee.html
Florida
Link here to information on the Ethics Committee of the Health Council of South Florida: https://www.healthcouncil.org/ethics
Find information and resources here from the Florida Board of Medicine relating to unlicensed healthcare practice: https://flboardofmedicine.gov/latest-news/unlicensed-activity/
Link here to MyFloridaRX, a prescription drug price locator: https://prescription.healthfinder.fl.gov
Link here for FAQs from the Florida Department of Health on Do Not Resuscitate Orders: https://www.floridahealth.gov/about/patient-rights-and-safety/do-not-resuscitate/faq-page.html
Link here to information on the Baker Act (regarding “emergency mental health services and temporary detention for people who are impaired because of their mental illness”) from University of Florida Health: https://ufhealth.org/baker-act
Georgia
Link here to information on ethics consultations from the Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance Regulatory Knowledge and Support (RKS) group and Winship Cancer Institute: https://georgiactsa.org/research/regulatory-knowledge-support/ethics-consultation.html
Link here for the Georgia Composite Medical Board’s malpractice claim report form: https://medicalboard.georgia.gov/professionals/malpractice-reporting-form
Link here for resources from the Georgia Composite Medical Board “to support greater understanding of sexual misconduct, sexual boundaries, and impacts of trauma and implicit bias”: https://medicalboard.georgia.gov/professionals/misconduct-and-professional-boundaries
Idaho
Link here to the Idaho State Bar Health Law Section page: https://isb.idaho.gov/member-services/practice-sections/hea/
Illinois
Link here for information about the University Of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System Clinical Ethics Consult Service: https://hospital.uillinois.edu/primary-and-specialty-care/clinical-ethics-consult-service
Indiana
Link here for the Fairbanks Center at Indiana University Health, providing ethics consultation and other services to support healthcare practitioners: https://iuhealth.org/patient-family-support/rights-responsibilities/charles-warren-fairbanks-center-for-medical-ethics
Link here for the Indiana Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline: https://www.in.gov/dcs/contact-us/child-abuse-and-neglect-hotline/
Link here for information about required reporting of animal bites in Indiana: https://www.in.gov/rabies/report-an-animal-bite/
Iowa
University of Iowa Health Care offers a compliance helpline here to assist faculty and staff with matters including but not limited to HIPAA and conflicts of interest, link: https://uihealthcare.org/compliance-helpline
Kansas
Link here for the Provider Consultation Line for Perinatal Behavioral Health, which supports providers addressing the substance use and mental health needs of perinatal patients: https://www.kansasmch.org/psychiatric-consultation-care-coordination.asp
Link here to KSKidsMAP, which supports primary care physicians and clinicians treating children and adolescents with a variety of behavioral health diagnoses: https://www.kumc.edu/school-of-medicine/campuses/wichita/academics/psychiatry-and-behavioral-sciences-wichita/research/kskidsmap.html
Link here for the University of Kansas Health System ethics helpline and Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct: https://www.kansashealthsystem.com/about-us/quality-care/culture-of-integrity-and-professionalism
Kentucky
Link here for the Research Ethics Consultation Service, free and available to University of Kentucky staff and students: https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/bioethics-program/what-we-do/research-ethics-consultations
Louisiana
Link here for the Ethics and Regulatory Knowledge Core (ERKC) at the Louisiana Clinical & Translational Science Center: https://www.lacats.org/cores/ethics-and-regulatory-knowledge-core/
Link here for information on individuals, e.g., family, who may be allowed to make medical decisions for a patient: https://www.ochsner.org/services/static/legal-hierarchy-of-medical-decision-making
Maine
Link here for the Ethics Consult Service at Maine Medical Center: https://www.mainehealth.org/Maine-Medical-Center/Patients-Visitors/Support-Services-Resources/Ethics-Consult-Services
Maryland
Link here for information about the UM Carey School of Law Maryland Healthcare Ethics Committee Network (MHECN), which assists ethics committees that serve Maryland health care institutions: https://www.law.umaryland.edu/Programs-and-Impact/Health-Law/MHECN/
Michigan
Link here for the University of Michigan Hospital and Health Centers Ethics Committee, which assists patients, families, and staff with difficult choices and ethical questions: https://www.uofmhealth.org/patient-visitor-guide/ethics-committee
Minnesota
Link here to information about research ethics at the University of Minnesota: https://www.health.umn.edu/research/research-ethics
Link here to information from the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy on reporting payments to practitioners: https://mn.gov/boards/pharmacy/resourcesfaqs/paymentstopractitioners.jsp
Link here to information about Minnesota’s Office of Unlicensed Complementary and Alternative Health Care Practice: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/providers/compalt/index.html
Link here to information about infectious disease reporting requirements: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/reportable/reporters.html
Mississippi
Link here to information about research oversight at North Mississippi Health Services: https://www.nmhs.net/medical-services/clinical-trials/
Nebraska
Link here to information on the Nebraska Coalition for Ethical Research: http://ethicalresearch.net/about-us/
Nevada
Link here to information from Nevada State College on Bioethics and Health Informatics in Nursing: https://online.nsc.edu/nursing/rn-to-bsn/bioethics-and-health-informatics-in-healthcare/
Link here to the Nevada Revised Statutes relating to criminal neglect of patients: https://law.justia.com/codes/nevada/2022/chapter-200/statute-200-495/
New Hampshire
Link here to the New Hampshire Mental Health Counselors Association website: https://www.nhmhca.org
New Jersey
Link here to information on the New Jersey State Department of Health Human Research Ethics Program: https://www.nj.gov/health/forms/oc-41.pdf
Link here and here to information on child abuse reporting in New Jersey: https://www.preventchildabusenj.org/resources/report-abuse/ and https://www.nj.gov/dcf/reporting/how/
New Mexico
The University of New Mexico offers free ethics consultation services for patients, caregivers, and medical providers, link: https://hsc.unm.edu/academic-affairs/offices/ethics/programs/service.html
New York
The New York State Department of Health provides IRB guidelines for researchers here: https://www.health.ny.gov/professionals/irb/docs/irb_guidelines_for_research.pdf
Link here to information from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services on reporting child maltreatment: https://ocfs.ny.gov/ohrd/ccg/
Link here to information from the New York City Administration for Children’s Services on mandated reporting: https://www.nyc.gov/site/acs/child-welfare/mandated-reporters.page
Link here to information from the New York State Education Department Office of the Professions regarding licensed professions, including healthcare professions: https://www.op.nysed.gov/professions-index
Link here to guidance from the New York State Education Department Office of the Professions regarding care by unlicensed medical assistants: https://www.op.nysed.gov/professions/specialist-assistants/professional-practice/utilization-of-medical-assistants
Link here to information from the New York State Department of Health on access to medical records: https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/1443/
Link here to information from the City Bar Justice Center on medical debt, including collections and suits for unpaid debt: https://www.citybarjusticecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Guide-Medical-Debt-English.pdf
Link here for guidelines for determining brain death from the New York State Department of Health: https://www.health.ny.gov/professionals/hospital_administrator/determining_brain_death/
North Carolina
The University of North Carolina Center for Bioethics provides research, education, and consultation services related to ethics in research and healthcare: https://bioethics.unc.edu/
Link here for information on North Carolina’s mandatory reporting requirements applicable to, e.g., physicians and hospitals with respect to certain categories of wounds, injuries, and illnesses: https://nccasa.org/resources/mandatory-reporting/
North Dakota
N.D. Admin. Code 50-02-15-03 - Standard of care and professional ethics: https://casetext.com/regulation/north-dakota-administrative-code/title-50-north-dakota-board-of-medicine/article-50-02-physician-licensure/chapter-50-02-15-telemedicine/section-50-02-15-03-standard-of-care-and-professional-ethics
Ohio
Link here for information on the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine Center for Bioethics: https://medicine.osu.edu/departments/bioethics
Oklahoma
Link here for the Oklahoma Association for Home Care and Hospice (OAHC) Code of Ethics: https://oahc.com/page/codeofethics
Oregon
Link here to information on the Oregon Health & Science University Center for Ethics in Health Care: https://www.ohsu.edu/center-for-ethics
Pennsylvania
Link here to information on the Pennsylvania Medical Society virtual member forum on healthcare ethics: https://www.pamedsoc.org/education-cme/ethics-in-healthcare
Rhode Island
Link here to information on the Rhode Island Hospital Ethics Committee: https://www.lifespan.org/locations/rhode-island-hospital/ethics-committee
South Carolina
Link here to the Medical University of South Carolina’s Ethics Consultation Service: https://muschealth.org/patients-visitors/visitor-information/ethics-consultation#:~:text=For%20an%20ethics%20consultation%2C%20you,2123%20and%20request%20pager%2017715.
Texas
Link here for information on the Texas Health Resources Human Research Protections Program (HRPP): https://www.texashealth.org/Research/Review-Board-and-Committee
Link here for the Texas Abuse Hotline: https://www.dfps.texas.gov/contact_us/report_abuse.asp
Link here to information on prescribing controlled substances: https://www.tmb.state.tx.us/page/renewal-prescribing-updates
Link here for information from the Texas Department of State Health Services on the Out-of-Hospital Do-Not-Resuscitate program: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/dshs-ems-trauma-systems/out-hospital-do-not-resuscitate-program
Utah
Link here for the Utah Department of Health Professional Conduct & Code of Ethics for EMS Providers: https://bemsp.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2022/01/Professional-Conduct-and-Code-of-Ethics.docx.pdf
Vermont
Link here for information about clinical ethics consultations at the University of Vermont Medical Center: https://www.uvmhealth.org/medcenter/departments-and-programs/clinical-ethics
Virginia
Link here for information on ethics from the Virginia Nurses Association: https://virginianurses.com/page/Ethics
Washington, DC
Link here for information on the John J. Lynch, MD Center for Ethics at MedStar Washington Hospital Center: https://www.medstarhealth.org/locations/medstar-washington-hospital-center/the-john-j-lynch-md-center-for-ethics
West Virginia
The West Virginia University Libraries provide an interdisciplinary resource, called the Medical Humanities Research Guide, to assist individuals studying Medical Humanities: https://libguides.wvu.edu/c.php?g=882802&p=6349183
Link here to information on medical records retention in West Virginia: https://wvbom.wv.gov/Retention_of_medical_records.asp
Wyoming
Advisory opinions from the Wyoming State Board of Nursing: https://wsbn.wyo.gov/practice