Ethics Committee
The Ethics Committee aims to guide the policies and practices of the OPTN related to organ donation, procurement, distribution, allocation, and transplantation so they are consistent with ethical principles. The Committee makes recommendations to Board of Directors for changing, creating, or eliminating policies if warranted by ethical concerns. The Committee also provides written guidance pertaining to ethical considerations to OPTN members, after approval by the Board of Directors. The Committee does not address individual patient issues or disputes.
Current Projects
Public Comment
- Transparency in Program Selection (8/3/2022 - 9/28/2022)
Implemented
- Ethical Considerations of Continuous Distribution in Organ Allocation (2/2022)
- Revise General Considerations In Assessment for Transplant Candidacy (7/2021)
- Ethical implications of multi organ transplants (1/2019)
- White paper on manipulating waitlist priority (1/2018)
- Living donation by persons with certain fatal diseases (7/2017)
- Ethical considerations of imminent death donation (8/2016)
- Ethics of deceased organ recovery white paper (8/2016)
- Split versus whole liver transplantation white paper (8/2016)
Chair
- Dr. Keren Ladin
- General Public Region 1
Vice Chair
- Dr. Andrew Flescher
- General Public Region 9
Liaison
- Laura Schmitt
- UNOS Employees
- laura.schmitt@unos.org
| Members | Organization | Position | End Term Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Melissa D Anderson | General Public Region 10 | Region 10 Representative | 6/30/2024 |
| Ms. Laurel Avery | General Public Region 11 | Visiting Board Member | 6/30/2023 |
| Dr. George Bayliss | Rhode Island Hospital | Region 1 Representative | 6/30/2023 |
| Dr. David W Bearl | Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Region 11 Representative | 6/30/2023 |
| Dr. Lynsey S Biondi | West Virginia University Hospitals Inc. | Region 2 Representative | 6/30/2023 |
| Dr. James S Bowman | Division of Transplantation, HHS | Ex Officio (non voting) | 6/30/2023 |
| Dr. Ivan (Glenn) Cohen | General Public Region 1 | At Large | 6/30/2023 |
| Jennifer Dillon | General Public Region 9 | Region 9 Representative | 6/30/2025 |
| Dr. Thao N Galvan | CHI St. Luke's Health Baylor College of Medicine Medical Center | Region 4 Representative | 6/30/2024 |
| Dr. Sanjay Kulkarni | Yale New Haven Hospital | At Large | 6/30/2023 |
| Dr. Marilyn E Levi | Division of Transplantation, HHS | Ex Officio (non voting) | 6/30/2023 |
| Dr. Ehab R Saad | Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital | Region 7 Representative | 6/30/2024 |
| Dr. Erica J Stohs | The Nebraska Medical Center | Region 8 Representative | 6/30/2025 |
| Dr. Carrie Thiessen | University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics | At Large | 6/30/2024 |
| Dr. Robert D Truog | General Public Region 1 | At Large | 6/30/2025 |
| Ms. Megan Urbanski | Emory University Hospital | Region 3 Representative | 6/30/2025 |
| Ms. Felicia Wells-Williams | Legacy of Life Hawaii | Region 6 Representative | 6/30/2025 |
| Ms. Sena A Wilson-Sheehan | Mayo Clinic Hospital Arizona | Region 5 Representative | 6/30/2024 |
Meeting Summaries
- July 14, 2022 Ethics - NRP Workgroup (PDF - 147 K)
- June 16, 2022 Ethics (PDF - 265 K)
- June 15, 2022 Ethics - Multiple Listing Subcommittee (PDF - 232 K)
- May 26, 2022 Ethics - Transparency in Program Selection Workgroup (PDF - 169 K)
- May 19, 2022 Ethics (PDF - 196 K)
- May 11, 2022 Ethics - Multiple Listing Subcommittee (PDF - 235 K)
- April 29, 2022 Ethics - Transparency in Program Selection Workgroup (PDF - 116 K)
- April 21, 2022 Ethics (PDF - 189 K)
- April 13, 2022 Ethics - Multiple Listing Subcommittee (PDF - 112 K)
- April 1, 2022 Ethics - Transparency in Program Selection Workgroup (PDF - 115 K)
- March 17, 2022 Ethics (PDF - 277 K)
- February 17, 2022 Ethics (PDF -270 K)
- January 27, 2022 Ethics - Transparency in Program Selection Workgroup (PDF - 113 K)
- December 16, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 233 K)
- November 23, 2021 Ethics - Transparency in Program Selection Workgroup (PDF - 183 K)
- November 18, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 147 K)
- October 29, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 159 K)
- October 28, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 160 K)
- October 21, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 682 K)
- September 23, 2021 Ethics - Transparency in Program Selection Workgroup (PDF - 562 K)
- September 21, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 593 K)
- August 26, 2021 Ethics - Transparency in Program Selection Workgroup (PDF - 577 K)
- August 19, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 717 K)
- July 29, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 688 K)
- July 15, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 592 K)
- July 9, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 686 K)
- June 17, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 602 K)
- June 16, 2021 Ethics - Transparency in Program Selection Workgroup (PDF - 702 K)
- May 20, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 622 K)
- April 28, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 632 K)
- April 15, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 740 K)
- March 24, 2021 Ethics - CAT Rewrite Subcommittee (PDF - 741 K)
- March 11, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 820 K)
- February 18, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 765 K)
- January 21, 2021 Ethics (PDF - 748 K)
- December 17, 2020 Ethics (PDF - 523 K)
- November 18, 2020 Ethics (PDF - 243 K)
- October 15, 2020 Ethics (PDF - 225 K)
- October 7, 2020 Ethics (PDF - 318 K)
- September 17, 2020 Ethics (PDF - 550 K)
- September 16. 2020 Ethics - CAT Rewrite Subcommittee (PDF - 500 K)
- August 20, 2020 Ethics (PDF - 210 K)
- August 19, 2020 Ethics - CAT Rewrite Subcommittee (PDF - 620 K)
- August 4, 2020 Ethics - Facilitating Patient Navigation Workgroup (PDF - 420 K)
- July 16, 2020 Ethics (PDF - 463 K)
- July 16, 2020 Ethics - CAT Rewrite Subcommittee (PDF - 340 K)
- July 7, 2020 Ethics - Facilitating Patient Navigation Workgroup (PDF - 469 K)
- June 18, 2020 Ethics (PDF - 706 K)
- June 17, 2020 Ethics - CAT Rewrite Subcommittee (PDF - 451 K)
- May 21, 2020 Ethics (PDF - 566 K)
- May 20, 2020 Ethics - CAT Rewrite Subcommittee (PDF - 562 K)
- May 5, 2020 Ethics - Facilitating Patient Navigation Workgroup (PDF - 203 K)
- April 15, 2020 Ethics (PDF - 430 K)
- March 19, 2019 Ethics (PDF - 250 K)
- March 18, 2019 Ethics - CAT Rewrite Subcommittee (PDF - 482 K)
- March 10, 2020 Ethics - Facilitating Patient Navigation Workgroup (PDF - 420 K)
- February 20, 2020 Ethics (PDF - 330 K)
- February 19, 2020 Ethics - CAT Rewrite Subcommittee (PDF - 145 K)
- February 12, 2020 Ethics - Facilitating Patient Navigation Workgroup (PDF - 220 K)
- January 16, 2020 Ethics (PDF - 113 K)
- January 15, 2020 Ethics - CAT Rewrite Subcommittee (PDF - 120 K)
- January 7, 2020 Ethics - Covert Factors Subcommittee (PDF - 110 K)
- December 19, 2019 Ethics (PDF - 124 K)
- December 18, 2019 Ethics - CAT Rewrite Subcommittee (PDF - 192 K)
- November 21, 2019 Ethics (PDF - 152 K)
- October 15, 2019 Ethics (PDF - 650 K)
- September 19, 2019 Ethics (PDF - 192 K)
- August 15, 2019 Ethics (PDF - 494 K)
- July 18, 2019 Ethics (PDF - 586 KB)
- June 19, 2019 Ethics (PDF - 203 K)
- May 16, 2019 Ethics (PDF - 176 K)
- April 8, 2019 Ethics (PDF - 125 K)
- March 21, 2019 Ethics (PDF - 127 K)
- February 21, 2019 Ethics (PDF - 91K)
- January 17, 2019 Ethics (PDF - 56K)
- December 20, 2018 Ethics (PDF - 76 K)
- November 29, 2018 Ethics (PDF - 21 K)
- October 29, 2018 Ethics (PDF - 233 K)
- August 16, 2018 Ethics (PDF - 92 K)
- April 9, 2018 Ethics (PDF - 597 K)
- March 15, 2018 Ethics (PDF - 591 K)
- March 1, 2018 Ethics (PDF - 109 K)
- February 15, 2018 Ethics (PDF - 560 K)
- January 18, 2018 Ethics (PDF - 501 K)
- November 16, 2017 Ethics (PDF - 479 K)
- October 2, 2017 Ethics (PDF - 503 K)
- September 21, 2017 Ethics (PDF - 485 K)
- August 17, 2017 Ethics (PDF - 499 K)
- July 20, 2017 Ethics (PDF - 483 K)
- June 15, 2017 Ethics (PDF - 51 K)
- May 18, 2017 Ethics (PDF - 518 K)
- April 3, 2017 Ethics (PDF - 541 K)
- March 16, 2017 Ethics (PDF - 479 K)
- February 16, 2017 Ethics (PDF - 226 K)
- December 15, 2016 Ethics (PDF - 501 K)
- September 12, 2016 Ethics (PDF - 499 K)
- March 14, 2016 Ethics (PDF - 612 K)
Reports to the Board of Directors
- June 2019: Ethical Implications of Multi-Organ Transplants (PDF - 1 M)
- December 2016: Guidance on Imminent Death Donation (PDF - 136 K)
- December 2016: Guidance on Split Versus Whole Liver Transplantation (PDF - 490 K)
Looking for something else? Contact us at unoscommunications@unos.org or (804) 782-4800. We maintain an archive of historical OPTN documents.
