FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2008
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124

MUW philosophy professor helps organizations solve their ethical
problems

COLUMBUS, Miss. - Every day professionals such as physicians, nurses,
social workers and chief executive officers are faced with making touch
ethical decisions-decisions that require the professional to take the
morally correct or legally correct course of action.

Dr. Bryan Hilliard, associate professor of philosophy, is helping his clients analyze and solve complex ethical dilemmas.

“Ethics is a critical and careful examination of what’s right and wrong and what’s good and bad,” he explained. “Ethics requires professionals to examine their beliefs and commitments and to provide justifications for their professional decisions.”

He has worked with various organizations such as the Columbus Police
Department, but he specializes in medical ethics and health law and policy, which tackles issues such as informed consent, the doctor-patient relationships, provision of adequate pain control and physician-assisted death.

“So many people in our community and around the country do not understand how ethically and medically complex decisions near the end of
life can be,” Hilliard said, noting that patients and physicians should talk to one another about values and preferences. For example, he said, “Are there times when medicine is used to keep terminally ill patients alive, and perhaps in pain, longer than the patient would have wanted?”

A medical ethicist would help patients, their families, physicians and other health care professionals understand both substantive and procedural issues. “The stronger the relationship between patients and their doctors, the better for everyone,” he explained.

He has worked with administrators and clinicians at Baptist Memorial
Hospital-Golden Triangle in restarting their ethics committee. I am impressed with the level of commitment by everyone at Baptist,” Hilliard said.

As for business and industry, he helps companies understand organizational ethics and how to treat employees.

“Whistleblowing, conflict of interest, bribery and bullying-these are all issues mid-level managers deal with,” he said.

While there is a fee for his services, a lot of his work has been done for free and he makes presentations around the state.

Hilliard graduated from Elon University in North Carolina with a bachelor of arts in history and philosophy before attending the University of Tennessee where he earned his master of arts in philosophy and medical ethics as well as a doctorate in philosophy.

He has been at MUW for three years and was recently named Faculty
Member of the Year chosen by students through an election coordinated by
the MUW Mortar Board National College Honor Society.

For more information about his services, call (662) 329-7750 or email
bhilliard@as.muw.edu.