Fraser Health – Simon Fraser University
Practicing Health Care Ethics Fellowship
Direct inquiries to: ethics.services@fraserhealth.ca
Fraser Health Website: https://www.fraserhealth.ca
Description of the Institution and communities served
This fellowship program is still under development. The two-year fellowship is a collaboration between Fraser Health Ethics Services (FHES) and Simon Fraser University (SFU).
Fellows are based within Fraser Health, working across acute care, community care, and long-term care settings. They also engage in SFU academic activities through adjunct faculty duties such as spot teaching, guest lecturing, or supervising student research.
Patient Populations Served
Fellows engage with diverse patient populations across Fraser Health’s service areas, including acute care, primary care, community programs, mental health and substance use, rehabilitation, and long-term care. Consultations involve patients and families of all ages, cultural backgrounds, and levels of medical and ethical complexity.
Ethics Issues / Practices
The fellowship provides training in:
- Clinical ethics consultation, including observed and supervised consults
- Systems level ethics consultation, involving organizational policies and procedures
- Ethics education, such as facilitating or supporting teaching in education sessions and in our ethics course for Fraser Health staff, Making Ethics Real.
The program emphasizes a values-based decision-making process, interpersonal skills, reflective practice, and real-world clinical experience.
Fellow Supervision
Supervision is provided by the Fraser Health Ethics Services team, who participate in mentorship, observation, feedback, and formal assessment.
Fellow Salary, Vacation, and Support
- The fellowship is a fulltime, paid, two-year position.
- Funding is primarily provided by Fraser Health, with SFU providing some support as well.
- Fellows are granted adjunct faculty status at SFU.
- Salary, benefits, and vacation follow Fraser Health’s fulltime employment policies.
Application Deadlines and Start Date
- The program is still under development.
Minimum Qualifications
Applicants must have:
- A master’s degree or PhD in bioethics
- Demonstrated academic excellence
- Evidence of strong interpersonal skills, judgment, and potential for success in clinical ethics
- Eligibility to work fulltime in Canada
Application Requirements
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Writing sample
- References
- Participation in an interview process
Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS)
Program for Ethics and Care Ecologies (PEaCE) Clinical and Organizational Ethics Fellow
Direct inquiries to: officeofethics@hhsc.ca
Website: https://www.hhscareers.ca/
Description of the Institution and communities served
HHS is comprised of six hospitals and a cancer center, with 15,000 staff, researchers, and physicians.
HHS serves more than 2.2 million residents in Central Southwest Ontario and is the only hospital in the province that cares for patients of all ages, from pre-birth to end-of-life.
The Ethics team at HHS supports patients, families, staff, physicians, and leaders from all HHS sites, as well as those within the Regional Health Network: www.regionalethicsnetwork.com
Our fellowship program offers:
- Comprehensive training in clinical ethics consultation and conflict resolution
- Participation in Accreditation Canada survey preparation
- Opportunity to experience diverse patient populations, hospital settings and community health services
- Exposure to ethical issues from pre-birth to death
- Participation on a variety of ethics committees
- Continuous and supportive mentorship from 3 staff ethicists and program director
- Collaboration with other members of the PEaCE team (MAiD, Psycho-Spiritual Care and Resilience Support)
- Participation in creating and delivering ethics educational resources and events
- Participation in policy review, development and evaluation
- Preparation for an active career as an ethicist in a variety of health care settings
- Participation in research and scholarly activities
Fellow Compensation
- Salary: $26.68/hour
- Paid in alignment with other fellows/training programs at HHS.
- No benefits or paid vacation.
- % paid in lieu of vacation and benefits
- Mileage paid for travel to sites.
- Support for attending one conference/year (when budget available)
Application Information
- Application deadline: June/July; check CBS website for annual posting
- Position start date: September
- Duration: September – August (one year with possibility of extension for 6 months)
- Location:Hamilton (with some travel to regional sites, 4x/month)
- Apply at:https://www.hhscareers.ca/
Applicant Qualifications
- Minimum masters or terminal professional degree (MA, JD, PhD, MD, or equivalent)
- Graduate level training/coursework in bioethics or applied ethics
- Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Experience within healthcare or health systems
- Commitment to becoming a Practicing Healthcare Ethicist
- Skills in: ethical analysis, teamwork, self-awareness, communication (verbal and in writing), presenting on ethics topics
Application must include:
- Letter of Application, including motivation, academic preparation for fellowship
- Academic writing sample
- Resume/CV
- 3 referees (one academic, one employment, one other) who can speak to the applicant’s self-reflection, compassion, collaboration, trustworthiness, respect/inclusion of diversity
University Health Network
Direct inquiries to: Ann Heesters ann.heesters@uhn.ca and Kevin Rodrigues Kevin.Rodrigues@uhn.ca
The University Health Network has grown out of a series of mergers between hospitals, as we have adjusted to accommodate our growing and changing patient community in and around the GTA. In 1986, the Toronto Western Hospital merged with the Toronto General Hospital becoming, respectively, the Toronto Western Division and the Toronto General Division of The Toronto Hospital. On January 1, 1998, the Toronto Hospital was amalgamated with the Ontario Cancer Institute/Princess Margaret Hospital, and in April 1999, the name was officially changed to the University Health Network. On July 1, 2011, UHN integrated with the Toronto Rehab Institute, a move which has physically expanded us to eight locations around the city and allows us to serve our patients better by bringing together acute hospital care with the rehabilitation care that so frequently follows a hospital stay. On January 1, 2016, UHN integrated with the Michener Institute, now called the Michener Institute of Education at UHN. This new relationship is the first integration of a health care organization and an educational institution in Canada. Our integration offers a wonderful opportunity for students in a variety of health professions, just as it offers UHN and all the hospitals which take part in the Michener program, the ability to work with students who will be the future of healthcare in this province.
We have a team of seven bioethicists who support all programs and services across the UHN network.
https://www.uhn.ca/PatientsFamilies/Patient_Services/Bioethics_Program
Our Sites
Each of our hospital sites has its own unique history and patient populations. Learn more about our sites via the links below:
- Princess Margaret Hospital
- Toronto General Hospital
- Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
- Toronto Western Hospital
The most recent addition to the UHN family is West Park Healthcare Centre (which joined UHN on April 1, 2024). West Park specializes in rehabilitation and complex care for patients with lung disease, amputation, stroke, and musculoskeletal injuries. Learn about West Park’s specialized programs here
Fellow Compensation
- Our current fellowship rate is $55,000 (CAD) per annum. Salary is adjusted periodically but will be finalized at the time of hiring.
- Fellows receive paid statutory holidays.
Application dates
- We post our call for applicants in early fall.
- The closing date for applications will typically be the first of December.
- Our fellows start on Monday of the first week of July to coincide with the medical school fellowship year.
Applicant Qualifications
- Candidates should possess a terminal degree in an academic or professional discipline (preferably bioethics, philosophy, theology, nursing, behavioral sciences, social work, medicine, or law).
- Excellent critical thinking skills are required.
- We are looking for applicants with strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Candidates are expected to exhibit humility, self-awareness, and an openness to learning from others.
- Clinical experience is preferred.
Unity Health Toronto
Direct inquiries to: Andria Bianchi andria.bianchi@unityhealth.to
Unity Health Toronto comprises St. Michael’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital, and Providence Rehabilitation Hospital and Long-Term Care. Unity is one of Canada’s largest Catholic healthcare networks serving patients, residents and clients across the full spectrum of care, spanning primary care, secondary community care, tertiary and quaternary care services to post-acute through rehabilitation, palliative care and long-term care, while investing in world-class research and education.
The Centre for Clinical Ethics provides expert guidance in compassionate and thoughtful ethical decision-making across health care. We do this through education, case consultations, policy development, and research. Staff at the CCE, all of whom support the fellowship, support all of Unity Health Toronto, as well as several external organizations (e.g., Scarborough Health Network, Baycrest, Toronto Grace, St. Joseph’s Hamilton, City of Toronto Long-Term Care Homes).
Unity Health Toronto and the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, in collaboration with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and Sinai Health System (Sinai) partner together to form the fellowship here.
The primary purpose of the fellowship program is to train individuals to be competent practicing healthcare ethicists throughout the entire continuum of care and within both faith-based and non-faith-based healthcare environments, as well as to cultivate leaders prepared to contribute to the future of healthcare ethics practice. The program aims to train Fellows to be able to conduct clinical, organizational, and research ethics consultations, as well as to offer ethics education.
It is a central goal of the program for the Fellow to gain and enhance competencies in the following five domains: clinical consultation, organizational consultation (including policy review), research ethics review, the provision of ethics education, and academic bioethics scholarship. These competencies will be grounded in the roles of the practicing healthcare ethicist ethics expert, communicator, collaborator, leader, health advocate, scholar, and professional.
Fellow Compensation
- Fellows receive approximately CAD $55,000 per year and are eligible for a cost-of-living increase as determined by Human Resources. Salary is finalized at the time of hiring.
- Fellows are entitled to paid statutory holidays.
- The CCE reimburses Fellows for their University of Toronto registration fees, as well as their registration fees and travel expenses for the Canadian Bioethics Society annual conference and/or (with approval) other relevant conferences/workshops.
- Fellows are also eligible to participate in a comprehensive health insurance program.
Application Information
- Application deadline: January/February – check CBS and CCE websites for annual posting
- Position start date: September
- Duration: Two years of funding available for a two-year fellowship. However, fellows are eligible to receive their Certificate from the University of Toronto at the 18-month mark if they have completed all fellowship requirements.
- Location: Toronto/Greater Toronto Area
Applicant Qualifications
Candidates typically hold a graduate degree in a field relevant to bioethics (e.g., bioethics, disability studies, equity studies, Indigenous studies, law, medical science, philosophy, religion, theology) and will also have undertaken coursework in ethics, including (but not limited to) bioethics.
Strong consideration is given to candidates who also bring applied experience in ethics or healthcare, such as familiarity working within a healthcare system (e.g., as a regulated or allied health professional), demonstrated interest in transferring academic skills to real world contexts (e.g., community-based research, knowledge translation), and/or a background supporting people as they make moral decisions in their everyday life (e.g., decision-making in a faith community, crisis workers).
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre / Health Ethics Alliance
Direct inquiries to: ethics@sunnybrook.ca
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is a tertiary acute care academic teaching hospital, part of the Toronto Academic Health Science Network, and regional trauma centre comprised of multiple sites including main Bayview Avenue campus (specialist cancer, trauma, burns, heart, brain sciences, and neonatal programs), the Holland Centre (a specialist musculoskeletal care site), St. John’s Rehabilitation Centre (specialty rehabilitation site), and Veterans’ Centre (LTC facility for veterans).
The Health Ethics Alliance is a multi-partner ethics service providing clinical, organizational and research ethics support to the Members of the Alliance. Alliance member organizations are supported by Ethicists embedded in or consulting to our partners – thereby creating a community of practice that promotes inter-organizational collaboration and common ethics support.
Fellowship Information
An occasional fellowship opportunity offered as and when funding and other resources are available.
Two full-time ethicists share the overall responsibilities of supervising Fellows.
A broad range of healthcare services are supported by the Ethics Centre – acute, outpatient, urban, rural, rehab, trauma, long-term care, etc. Specialty programs include cancer, trauma, burns, heart, brain sciences, and neonatal programs, specialist musculoskeletal care and rehabilitation sites, as well as a LTC facility for veterans.
Fellow compensation is to be determined at the time a Fellowship is offered
Program start date is dependent on the availability of resources and the planning for any individual Fellowship offered.
Qualifications are generally expected to include graduate level study of bioethics.
Other experience also considered as determined relevant.
The Ottawa Hospital
Direct inquiries to: ethics@toh.ca or Bridie Hamilton brihamilton@toh.ca
The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals. As a multi-campus hospital affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region.
The Champlain Centre for Health Care Ethics (CCHCE) which is hosted at The Ottawa Hospital is the leading health care ethics support system in the Champlain region. The CCHCE provides a centralized regional approach to the provision of health care ethics services to a diverse group of organizations across the continuum of care (hospitals, long-term care homes, community support services). All publicly funded health care organizations in the Champlain Region have access to our Regional Ethics Program.
The TOH Ethics fellowship is jointly supervised by the Lead Ethicist, Executive Director of Quality and Ethics, and Medical Director of Ethics.
Our Clinical Ethics Fellowship is generously funded by a partner with a specific interest in advancing community engagement in ethics and strengthening the ethical capacity of staff working in community-based settings, including home health care and community health clinics. As such, the Fellowship will dedicate time and focused attention to this area, working closely with partners to develop and sustain meaningful community relationships.
Fellows will be exposed to a broad range of patient populations and practice contexts across the lifespan, including care delivered in large urban and small rural hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other community-based care environments.
Fellows will also have opportunities to observe Accreditation Canada surveys, receive formal structured education on key topics, engage with frontline staff through ongoing education, and participate in a variety of working groups, ethics committees, research ethics operations, and policy development initiatives across multiple service areas.
Fellow Compensation
- 2025-26 Salary was between: $28-32/hour
- Reimbursement for travel to partner organizations.
- No benefits or paid vacation. %paid in lieu of vacation.
- Hybrid work arrangements.
- Support for scholarly and academic work and access to professional development opportunities available to all TOH staff.
Application Information
- Hiring dates and deadlines will vary by year and are contingent on ongoing fellowship funding.
Applicant Qualifications
Basic Requirements:
- Master’s degree in Ethics, Bioethics, Law, Health Care Services, Social Work, Nursing or other Allied Health Profession, Religion, or other related field;
- Exceptional critical analysis and reasoning skills related to ethics;
- Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills;
- Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications:
- D. in Philosophy or Ethics OR JD
- Experience working in a clinical environment
- Experience with a practicum in health care ethics;
- Knowledge of health law and professional standards;
- Working knowledge of the health care system and health systems funding;
- Knowledge of medical terminology;
- Proficiency in English and French
Application Requirements
Applications should include a CV and cover letter outlining your interest in the Clinical Ethics Fellowship at TOH, with particular attention to your interest in community health partnerships. References will be requested following a successful interview.
Bureau de l’éthique clinique, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal
Direct inquiries to: Marie-Eve Bouthillier marie-eve.bouthillier@umontreal.ca and Antoine Payot antoine.payot@umontreal.ca
Fellowship supported by the
ENTENTE DE COLLABORATION INTER-INSTITUTIONNELLE
pour le financement du
Programme de recherche en éthique clinique et organisationnelle ci-après « l’Entente »
3 institutions :
- CHU Sainte Justine
- CISSS de Laval
- University of Montreal
Le CHU Sainte-Justine
Depuis 12 ans, l’Unité d’éthique clinique et organisationnelle (UECO) du CHU Sainte-Justine se démarque par son approche multidisciplinaire, liant un volet pragmatique découlant du quotidien auprès des familles et un important volet académique. La collaboration entre les chercheurs en éthique affiliés à l’UECO et une masse critique d’étudiants a donné lieu à d’importantes activités de recherche et de mobilisation des connaissances. Comptant aujourd’hui plus de 20 membres, il s’avère un leader international en éthique, notamment par ses nombreuses publications scientifiques et ses ouvrages de référence.
Forts de leur expérience en regard des situations complexes liées aux enjeux obstétricaux et pédiatriques dans le contexte des soins spécialisés, les membres de l’UECO ont conduit des centaines de consultations (patients, familles, gestionnaires, responsables de la gouvernance). Ils participent également à plusieurs démarches collaboratives au sein du réseau de la santé, concernant par exemple la procréation médicalement assistée, les soins palliatifs pédiatriques, l’organisation des soins, etc.
Le CHU Sainte-Justine, c’est aussi :
- l’initiateur de programmes universitaires post-gradués en éthique clinique, notamment un microprogramme, une maîtrise (profils professionnels ourecherche) et un doctorat,
- l’organisateur d’importants colloques et congrès annuels en ÉCO.
Le CISSS de Laval
Depuis plus de 20 ans, le Centre d’éthique du CISSS ce Laval est responsable de mener des centaines de consultations chaque année sur des sujets variés (acharnement thérapeutique, désaccords de niveaux de soins, certificat de virginité, accommodements raisonnables, allocation des ressources, délestage, etc.). Il coordonne aussi toutes les demandes d’aide médicale à mourir (des milliers depuis la mise en vigueur de la Loi), de sorte qu’il a développé une grande expertise clinique en la matière.
En plus de ses demandeurs réguliers (patients, proches, soignants, gestionnaires et décideurs), plusieurs CISSS, CIUSSS et CHU – voire le ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux – font régulièrement appel au Centre d’éthique du CISSS de Laval pour bénéficier de son expertise unique et obtenir du soutien.
Le CISSS de Laval, c’est aussi :
- le lieu de formation clinique pour tous les étudiants inscrits aux programmes en éthique clinique de l’Université de Montréal,
- le co-créateur de plusieurs formations sur l’aide médicale à mourir, en partenariat avec le Bureau d’éthique clinique de la Faculté de médecine de l’Université de Montréal,
- l’institution mandatée par le ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux en 2020 pourtraiter des enjeux éthiques liés à la pandémie (p. ex. triage des soins intensifs, priorisation des chirurgies et autres questions d’allocation des ressources),
le porteur du projet de recherche de 1 M$ octroyé par le gouvernement du Québec pour étudier le recours à l’aide médicale à mourir au Québec.
Context
Our team works in two healthcare environments:
- a pediatric/mother and child university hospital (CHU Sainte-Justine);
- a regional health center with a community hospital and all types of community and long-term care services (CISSS de Laval).
All these centers are French speaking, although most of their staff and part of the population are bilingual.
Our team has a chair in clinical and organizational ethics that provides funding for a fellow each year. Our fellowship program is one year full-time. This program is in its second year. One Fellow finished in September 2024, we welcomed a new Fellow in mid-September 2024 and we will welcome a new Fellow in January 2025. Exceptionally, this year we had the funds to welcome two fellows.
Possibilities
Clinical immersion in the Ethics Centre and Clinical Ethics Unit with mentorship
The teams at our two centers carry out a great deal of consultations each year. At CHU Sainte-Justine, there is a pediatric/mother and child clinical ethics unit with two ethicists and a group of eighteen clinical professors/clinicians/lawyer trained in ethics. The CISSS de Laval has an Ethics Centre with a team of seven people (ethicists and two administrative officers). These teams carry out numerous consultations in clinical and organizational ethics. In addition, at the Centre d’éthique de Laval, the ethics team coordinates all requests for medical assistance in dying within its territory. In this way, Fellows can become involved in the practice and better understand its practical, ethical, legal and human aspects.
Participation in research projects in clinical ethics
Since a large majority of the ethicists on our teams are also researchers, several research projects are currently underway on topics related to clinical and organizational ethics. This gives fellow the opportunity to immerse themselves not only in the clinic, but also in clinical ethics research on topics such as medical aid in dying, end-of-life conflicts, intensive care triage, etc.
Participate in teaching in the clinical ethics program of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Montreal.
We have a clinical ethics program with a microprogram, two master’s degrees (research and professional) and a doctoral program in clinical ethics. Fellows can participate in teaching the program’s courses according to their skills.
See the link to the clinical ethics programs: https://www.ethiqueclinique.ca/
Participation in organizing yearly provincial conference in clinical ethics (Journée d’éthique Clinique) (https://jec.ethiqueclinique.ca)
Participation in the regroupement des éthiciens du Québec
Since the pandemic, we have created a group of all ethicists practicing in Quebec institutions. Fellows could get involved in this group, visit various places where ethics is more or less developed, and take part in the work carried out by this community of practice.
Fellow compensation
- Bursaryof 50K for one year
Application Information
- We give the possibility to start in September or in January. For now, we are waiting for the renewal of our funding to advertise a new Fellowship offer.
- It is possible to see the previous call for application for the fellowship here:https://www.ethiqueclinique.ca/
