Credentialing the clinical ethics consultant: an academic medical center affirms professionalism and practice

In response to national trends calling for increasing accountability and an emerging dialogue within bioethics, we describe an effort to credential clinical ethicists at a major academic medical center.This effort is placed within the historical context of prior calls for credentialing and certification and efforts currently underway within organized bioethics to engage this issue.The specific details, and conceptual rationale, behind the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital's graduated credentialing plan are shared as is their evolution and ratification within the context of institutional policy. While other programs will design their credentialing schema consistent with their local context and demographics, the description of one such effort is offered to be instructive to others who want to bring additional standardization to the assessment of the readiness and credentials of those who will engage in the practice of clinical ethics case consultation.