Public Health Ethics

The Center for Bioethics advances public health practice and policy that promotes population health while being socially responsible and worthy of trust. We foster this aspect of our mission through academic scholarship, educational opportunities, and statewide collaboration to create ethical guidelines and policies.

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MN COVID Ethics Collaborative Guidance:

MCEC has created a number of Minnesota statewide guidances that have been adopted and disseminated by the Minnesota Department of Health.

History of Collaboration

Prior to COVID-19, the Center collaborated to produce previous guidance for the State of Minnesota on pandemic ethics and crisis standards of care, including:

Publications and Recordings

Leider, J., DeBruin, D., & Lim, S. (2024) Ethical and Operational Strategies for Scarce Resource Allocation. JAMA Health Forum, 5(9):e242940. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2024.2940

Riggan, K. A., Kesler, S., DeBruin, D., Wolf, S. M., Leider, J. P., Sederstrom, N., Dichter, J., & DeMartino, E. S. (2024). Minnesota hospitals' plans for implementing statewide guidance on allocation of scarce critical care resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayo Clinic proceedings. Innovations, quality & outcomes, 8(6), 537–547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2024.09.003

Riggan, K. A., Nguyen, N. V., Ennis, J. S., DeBruin, D. A., Sharp, R. R., Tilburt, J. C., Wolf, S. M., & DeMartino, E. S. (2024). Behind the Scenes: Facilitators and Barriers to Developing State Scarce Resource Allocation Plans for the COVID-19 Pandemic. CHEST, 166(3), 561-571. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2024.04.006

Eyal, N., Wynia, M. K., Harter, T. D., DeBruin, D., & Eberl, J. T. (2023). Why Dropping Most Covid-19 Vaccine Mandates is Now Ethical. Health Affairs Forefront. https://doi.org/10.1377/forefront.20231206.51079

Leider, J. P., Lim, S., DeBruin, D., Waterman, A. T., Smith, B., Ghimire, U., & Hick, J. L. (2023). Using a web platform for equitable distribution of COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies: A case study in resource allocation. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1226935.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1226935

Wrigley-Field, E., Berry, K. M., Stokes, A. C., & Leider, J. P. (2023). COVID-19 Vaccination and Racial/Ethnic Inequities in Mortality at Midlife in Minnesota. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 64(2),
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2022.08.005 

DeBruin, D. A. (2022). Addressing pandemic disparities: Equity and neutral conceptions of justice. In: Boylan, M. (Eds.) Ethical public health policy within pandemics. The International Library of Bioethics, vol 95. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99692-5_10 

Debruin, D. A., Leider, J. P., Sakata, V., & White, D. B. (2022). Ethical Issues Related to COVID-19 Treatments. The Exchange, ASPR TRACIE. Available at https://files.asprtracie.hhs.gov/documents/ethical-issues-related-to-covid-19-treatments.pdf

Gollust, S. E., Saloner, B., Hest, R., & Blewett, L. A. (2022). US Adults’ Preferences for Public Allocation of a Vaccine for Coronavirus Disease 2019. JAMA Network Open. 3(9):e2023020. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.23020

Kesler, S. M., Wu, J. T., Kalland, K. R., Peter, L. G., Wothe, J. K., Needle, J. K., Wang, Q., & Weinert, C. R. (2021). Operationalizing Ethical Guidance for Ventilator Allocation in Minnesota: Saving the Most Lives or Exacerbating Health Disparities?. Critical care explorations, 3(6), e0455. https://doi.org/10.1097/CCE.0000000000000455

Laar, A., DeBruin, D., Ofori-Asenso, R., Laar, M.E., Redman, B., & Caplan, A. (2021). Rationing health and social goods during pandemics: Guidance for Ghanaian decision makers. Clinical Ethics, 16(3), 165-170. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477750920977095

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  • Mary J. Owen, MD, University of Minnesota Medical School
  • Anne Sosin, MPH, Dartmouth College
  • Elizabeth Carpenter-Song, PhD, Dartmouth College
  • Georges C. Benjamin, MD, MACP, FACEP (E), FNAPA, American Public Health Association
  • Monica E. Peek, MD, MPH, MS, FACP, University of Chicago, The Pritzker School of Medicine
  • A. Kade Goepferd, MD, Children's Minnesota
  • Ian Wolfe, PhD, MA, RN, HEC-C, Children's Minnesota
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