Ethics on Call

Center for Theology and Ethics in Catholic Health
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Ethics on Call is the official podcast of the Center for Theology and Ethics in Catholic Health. Join the Center’s leaders, Dan Daly and Tom Bushlack, for a monthly review of recent scholarship, deep dives into key topics, and news in theology and ethics pertinent to Catholic health care.

Episodes

  1. MAR 17

    Healthcare Transcends Borders: Treating Immigrant Patients with Dignity

    In this episode, Dan and Tom interview Dr. Mark Kuczewski about his recent work advocating for immigrant patients during the ongoing federal immigration enforcement surge. They discuss the following: Why the Church has always affirmed the universal human dignity and rights of immigrants and migrants (regardless of legal status) Ways for health professionals to advocate for immigrant patients The need to revise hospitals' forensic patient policies, and Why and how bioethicists are called to speak prophetically when immigrant patients are suffering. Dr. Kuczewski is the Fr. Michael English Professor of Medical Ethics and Director of the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy at Loyola University Chicago, a past president of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH), and a Fellow of the Hastings Center.  Below are links to the resources and publications referenced in this episode: Sanctuary Doctoring Toolkit - https://www.luc.edu/stritch/bioethics/medicaleducation/sanctuarydoctor/ Kuczewski M, Blair A, Nguyen T, Garcia-Izaguirre ML, Dober GJ, “When ICE Brings You the Patient . . . Hospitals Must Stop Victimizing Forensic Patients,” American Journal of Bioethics, Vol. 26, no. 3 (March 12, 2026): 4-6. https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2026.2623853 Maalouf M, Blair A, Kuczewski M, “Treating Fear: Steps to Help Your Immigrant Patients,” Health Progress, Vol. 106, no. 4 (2025): 9-14, 2025. https://www.chausa.org/news-and-publications/publications/health-progress/archives/fall-2025/treating-fear--steps-to-help-your-immigrant-patients Catholic Health Association, USCCB, & Catholic Charities, Human Dignity is Not Dependent on a Person's Citizenship or Immigration Status (January 23, 2025): https://www.usccb.org/news/2025/human-dignity-not-dependent-persons-citizenship-or-immigration-status?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=twitter&utm_term= President Ronald Wilson Reagan, “Farewell Address to the Nation,” January 11, 1989. https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/farewell-address-nation Zeke Hernandez, The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers (St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 2024). https://zekehernandez.net/book/

    56 min

  2. FEB 17

    From Promulgation to Practice: Leaders Reflect on the 7th Edition of the ERDs

    Dan and Tom interview four leaders in Catholic health on the newly promulgated 7th edition of ERDs.  They discuss the history of the ERDs, how they are being implemented by ethicists, mission leaders, and health care professionals, and highlight the significance of several developments in the 7th edition. They also identify how these directives enable Catholic health care to promote the dignity and flourishing of vulnerable patients, such as women and mothers, persons experiencing gender dysphoria, and patients at the end of life. Our guests on this episode include: Fr Charlie Bouchard, OP, STD (Catholic University of America) Senior Fellow and adjunct Professor in Ethics at Aquinas Institute of Theology, St Louis, MO Former VP for Theological Education, Ascension Health and Senior Director, Ethics and Sponsorship, CHA   Amy Hertweck-Warner, DO, MA, HEC-C Director, Ethics Mercy St. Louis   Jenna Speckart, D.Be, MA (Theology) Vice President Mission & Ethics Operations, Mercy   Dr. Anitha Rayani, MD, Palliative Care SSM Health-St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Charles, MO   Below is a link to the article we referred to in this episode: Ron Hamel, “100th Anniversary - The Ethical and Religious Directives: Looking Back to Move Forward,” Health Progress (2019)

    1h 30m

  3. JAN 20

    Analysis and Commentary on the Newly Promulgated 7th Edition of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services

    In November 2025, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops voted to approve a new 7th Edition of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.  In this episode, Dan and Tom talk with Nathaniel Blanton Hibner, Ph.D., Senior Director of Ethics at the Catholic Health Association, who discusses the process by which this edition was developed over the past four years.   Following the interview, Dan and Tom provide their analysis of the new text, first exploring what they see as the four "under the radar" developments. They then turn to the four significant developments of the 7th edition, with special attention to the new directives on care for patients experiencing gender dysphoria.   Links to the documents and articles noted in the podcast can be found below: The Ethical and Religious Directors for Catholic Health Care Services Edmund D. Pellegrino, "The Commodification of Medical and Health Care: The Moral Consequences of a Paradigm Shift from a Professional to a Market Ethic," in Pellegrino's Clinical Bioethics: A Compendium, Edited by G. Kevin Donovan, David G. Miller, and Claudia Ruiz Sotomayor (Catholic University of America Press, 2025): 387 - 408. National Institute on Aging, "What Are Palliative Care and Hospice Care?" (2021) Ron Hamel, "Ethics - Palliative Care - Stealth Euthanasia?", Health Progress (January-February 2014)

    1h 11m

  4. 12/16/2025

    Organizational Ethics: Building and Sustaining Virtuous Health Care Ministries

    Ethicists, clinicians, and administrators share a sincere commitment to building health care ministries that serve those in need and strengthen the social conditions that support healthy communities. But how can we achieve this without a clear account of what social structures and culture are, how they change, and—most importantly—how they can help us provide the best care, especially to those who are most poor and vulnerable? In this episode Dan and Tom begin by reviewing the ways that critical realist social theory has contributed to a Christian ethical analysis of social structures and culture.  Then they consider two recent articles that apply these insights to clinical and bioethics, and to building healthy hospital cultures. The articles and resources discussed in this episode can be found below: Finn, Daniel K. “Ch. 4: Social Structures,” in Moral Agency Within Social Structures and Culture: A Primer on Critical Realism for Christian Ethics. Edited by Daniel K. Finn. Georgetown University Press. 2020: 29-41. Kolmes, Sara, Ariana Thompson-Lastad, Kevin Dirksen, Kayla Tabari, and Seth M. Holmes. “Incorporating Structural Competency into Clinical Ethics: Piloting New Bioethics Education.” Journal of Clinical Ethics, Vol. 26, No. 2 (2025): 158-166. https://doi.org/10.1086 /734776 Miller, Ireland. “Building an Ethical Hospital Culture: Integrating Ethics into Organizational Frameworks in Healthcare.” Journal of Health Ethics & Administration, Vol. 11, No. 3 (2025): 14-24.  https://doi.org/10.22461/jhea.6.7164   “Case Studies in Social Medicine,” New England Journal of Medicine, Massachusetts Medical Society, https://www.nejm.org/case-studies-in-social-medicine.

    1h 1m

  5. 11/25/2025

    Field Report from the American Society for Bioethics in the Humanities 2025 Annual Conference

    This episode includes three interviews recorded live from the floor of the exhibit hall of the ASBH annual conference in October 2025 with the following bioethicists: Michael McCarthy, Associate Professor and the Graduate Program Director for Healthcare Mission Leadership at Loyola University ChicagoLaura Webster, Northwest Region Vice President of Ethics at Common Spirit Health; andJason Eberl, the Mader Chair in Health Care Ethics at St. Louis University. Dan and Tom also discuss their takeaways and learnings from some of the papers and sessions at the conference, summarize the trends they see reflected in the field of bioethics today, and consider their implications for the Catholic health ministry. You can find the article, books, and authors cited in this episode below: Jerome Adams, M.D. Crisis and Chaos: Lessons from the Front Lines of the War Against COVID-19. Post Hill Press. 2023.  Dennis Gonzalez and Becket Gremmels. "Mission — Moving Beyond 'No Margin, No Mission' in Catholic Health Care." Health Progress (Spring 2025). Rosemary Garland-Thomson Harold Braswell Miguel Romero Devan Stahl Gerald McKenny Alasdair MacIntyre. Dependent Rational Animals: Why Humans Need the Virtues. Open Court. 1999.

    54 min

  6. 11/04/2025

    Commentary on Pope Leo XIV's Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi Te

    Dan and Tom discuss Pope Leo XIV’s new apostolic exhortation, Dilexi te. They place the document in its context, explore its content and structure, and analyze its relevance for Catholic health care.  Read Dilexi te here.

    41 min

  7. 10/21/2025

    Recent Controversies Regarding Brain Death in Catholic Ethics

    In this episode of Ethics on Call, Dan and Tom discuss the recent controversy in Catholic circles surrounding the determination of death by neurologic criteria (DNC). The episode features an interview with Dr. Sherri Bracksick, a neuro-intensivist who regularly assesses patients for DNC. Dan and Tom discuss the various options that Catholic health organizations have and offer their own moral analysis of the current American Academy of Neurology guideline.   You can find articles cited in this episode below: Center for Theology and Ethics in Catholic Health, "Position Statement: Recent Controversies in Catholic Ethics Regarding the Determination of Death by Neurological Criteria" Jason T. Eberl. "What is the True Death of a Human Being?" in 50 Years of Philosophy and Medicine. Edited byLisa M. Rasmussen and Soren Holm.  Springer Nature. 2025: 181 - 199.  Daniel Sulmasy, et al., "A Biophilosophical Approach to the Determination of Brain Death," CHEST Journal, Vol. 165, Issue 4 (April 2024): 959-966. "A Definition of Irreversible Coma: Report of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Harvard Medical School to Examine the Definition of Brain Death," JAMA, Vol. 205, No. 6 (1968). National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, "Uniform Determination of Death Act" (1980). David M. Greer, et al, "Pediatric and Adult Brain Death/Death by Neurologic Criteria Consensus Guideline: Report of the AAN Guidelines Subcommittee, AAP, CNS, and SCCM," Neurology (October 11, 2023). Joseph M. Eble, MD, John A. Di Camillo, and Peter J. Colosi. "Catholics United on Brain Death and Organ Donation: A Call to Action," National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly, Vol. 24, Issue 1 (Spring 2024).

    1h 11m

  8. 09/23/2025

    Recent Theological Reflection on Mental Health

    In the new episode of Ethics on Call, hosts Dan Daly and Tom Bushlack discuss recent work in theology on mental health. They discuss theologically informed ways of looking at grief, trauma, depression, and anxiety. The work they consider contends that mental health disorders and suffering are often both medical and existential conditions.  You can find the articles and books discussed in this episode listed below: James Keenan, “Grief as Epiphanous,” Theological Studies Stephanie C. Edwards, “Christian Ethics, Trauma, and Dust in the Blood:  Moving Toward Enfleshed Counter-Memory,” Journal of Moral Theology Jessica Coblentz, Dust in the Blood: A Theology of Life with Depression Marc Zao-Sanders, “How People are Really Using Gen AI in 2025,” Harvard Business Review Gilmar Gutierrez, et al., “Examining the role of AI technology in online mental healthcare: opportunities, challenges, and implications, a mixed-methods review,” Frontiers in Psychology

    51 min

  9. 08/19/2025

    Antiqua et nova and Catholic Health: AI, the Human Person, and Human Flourishing

    In the latest episode of Ethics on Call, hosts Dan Daly, Executive Director of the Center for Theology and Ethics in Catholic Health, and Tom Bushlack, Senior Director of the Center, discuss Antiqua et nova, a January 2025 doctrinal note on artificial intelligence issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education. Dan and Tom discuss the document's purpose and main arguments and connect it to Catholic health.

    51 min

  10. 07/22/2025

    Pope Francis's Legacy

    In episode two of Ethics on Call, hosts Dan Daly, Executive Director of the Center for Theology and Ethics in Catholic Health, and Tom Bushlack, Senior Director of the Center, discuss the theological and ethical legacy of Pope Francis in light of his recent passing.

    1 hr

  11. 06/20/2025

    Health Care Access for All

    Welcome to Ethics on Call, the official podcast of the Center for Theology & Ethics in Catholic Health! In their first episode, hosts Dan Daly, Executive Director of the Center, and Tom Bushlack, Senior Director of the Center, discuss the Center's first official position statement, Access for All: A Reaffirmation of the Theological and Ethical Principles in Support of Health Care for All Persons. Resources Read the Center's first position statement here. Learn more about the Center at www.theologyandethics.org.

    41 min
  • 11 Episodes

4.9
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Ethics on Call is the official podcast of the Center for Theology and Ethics in Catholic Health. Join the Center’s leaders, Dan Daly and Tom Bushlack, for a monthly review of recent scholarship, deep dives into key topics, and news in theology and ethics pertinent to Catholic health care.

Information

  • Creator
    Center for Theology and Ethics in Catholic Health
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    11
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Center for Theology and Ethics in Catholic Health
  • Show Website
    Ethics on Call

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