Miles J. Edwards Chair in Professionalism and Comfort Care
Company : Oregon Health & Science University
Location : Portland, OR, 97201
Job Type : Full Time / Part Time
Date Posted : 8 January 2026
Department Overview
OHSU Center for Ethics in Health Care was founded in 1989 with a clear and compelling purpose: to bring justice, compassion, and respect to every aspect of health care in our community. The scope of the Center's work has expanded far beyond the early dreams of its founders, to include: - Innovative education programs for current and future generations of health care professionals throughout the state - A leading national role in transforming care at the end of life, in particular through the development of the ground-breaking Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) program which is now available in most states nationwide as well as a number of other countries - Policy change to address pressing issues such as conflict of interest and access to health care - Research to support important health care reform The OHSU Center for Ethics is a 36 year old, nationally recognized, interprofessional group of individuals seeking to advance ethics in health care. The Edwards Chair is responsible for guiding and supporting the development of teaching about professionalism and ethics with students and trainees of selected OHSU schools and programs and to health care professionals in Oregon and nationally.
The appointee shall provide services as assigned by the supervisor in furtherance of the university’s missions and goals of teaching, research, patient care, outreach and public service.
This position reports to (supervisor): Fabrice Jotterand, PhD, MA
Please include CV, letter of intent and four references with your application.
Function/Duties of Position
Teaching
- Responsibilities include guiding and supporting the development of teaching about professionalism and ethics with students and trainees of selected OHSU schools and programs and to health care professionals in Oregon and nationally.
- Specific responsibilities will include teaching curricula on professionalism and comfort care to be included in selected OHSU schools and program courses including curriculum for the Living with Life-Threatening Illness course for medical students. The individual will also participate in teaching at other Center events.
- Facilitate the planning and lead the Oregon Bioethics & Humanities Colloquium (OBHC) series.
- Participate in the education of students, Residents and Fellows to become the next generation of ethics leaders for the Center, OHSU and the community.
- Mentoring junior faculty in professionalism, ethics and end-of-life comfort care knowledge and teaching leadership process skills.
- Modeling intercultural competence and employing innovative technology to enhance the educational effectiveness of campus-based and distance teaching, learning and research will be increasingly vital.
Scholarship
- Scholarly activities related to the field of professionalism and ethics issues related to end-of- life care, fulfilling all requirements for the ethical conduct of research, and complying with all rules, regulations and requirements of the sponsoring organization and OHSU.
- Assist in the translation of theory and research into practical usefulness in policy and patient care.
- Scholarship focused on a) primary research, development of educational and other translational resources regarding professionalism and clinical ethics issues related to end-of-life care, and b) development of innovative educational and curricular materials for application of professionalism and clinical ethics issues related to end-of-life care across professions and the continuum of care settings.
- Publish and share research findings with the broader community by submitting and presenting abstracts and papers for publication and at local, regional, national and international meetings.
Service
- Serve on Center related committees and will participate in key fund-raising activities for the Center; participate in Ethics Center recruitment of faculty and staff; and other organizational activities.
- Partnering with other schools to build interprofessional teaching opportunities on professionalism and comfort care.
- Participating in the development of educational grant proposals and subsequent implementation.
Required Qualifications
This is a 0.5 FTE position and requires that the individual have FTE in another department or program at OHSU. The successful candidate will have either:
- a doctoral degree in a health profession with a master's or doctoral degree in ethics, or
- a doctoral degree in ethics.
The candidate will be board certified in palliative care or have significant expertise in palliative care, including research and scholarship. The Chair's salary will be supported through endowments but there will be an expectation to seek support through grants, clinical FTE or other sources of funding.
The position includes duties in areas of teaching, scholarship, research, and service. The time allocation shown relates specifically to the 0.5 FTE chair responsibilities only. This position reports to the Center for Ethics in Health Care Director.
The academic rank of the applicant must be associate or full professor.
All are welcome
Oregon Health & Science University values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. To request reasonable accommodation contact the Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Department at 503-494-5148 or aaeo@ohsu.edu.Related Jobs
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Frequently asked questions
This role shapes the ethical framework for future healthcare professionals by developing curricula focused on professionalism and comfort care, ensuring that students and trainees understand compassionate end-of-life care within clinical settings.
Candidates typically hold doctoral degrees in health professions or ethics, with board certification or substantial experience in palliative care, emphasizing both scholarship and practical teaching leadership in ethics and comfort care.
Yes, the position fosters growth by mentoring junior faculty and engaging in national bioethics initiatives, enabling the chairholder to become a recognized leader in professional ethics and end-of-life care scholarship.
OHSU integrates interdisciplinary teaching with innovative technology and intercultural competence, supporting the chair through endowed funds while encouraging grant-seeking and clinical collaboration, setting a nationally influential standard.
The role actively participates in local ethics committees and public service, promoting compassionate care awareness and bioethics dialogue tailored to Portland’s diverse medical community and patient needs.
Salaries for this specialized half-time academic chair typically range between $75,000 to $110,000 annually, depending on experience and additional clinical or grant-funded activities in Portland's competitive healthcare education market.
Portland’s healthcare sector values board certification in palliative care and advanced degrees in ethics, reflecting a regional emphasis on interdisciplinary expertise and culturally competent end-of-life care practices.
This half-time chair role requires affiliation with another OHSU department, promoting cross-disciplinary collaboration to embed ethics and professionalism deeply across various health programs.
This chair uniquely focuses on developing and delivering curricula on professionalism and comfort care, including leading statewide bioethics colloquia and mentoring future ethics leaders, blending education with practical end-of-life care challenges.
OHSU encourages the chair to pursue grants, clinical full-time equivalent positions, or other funding streams, fostering a sustainable balance between scholarship, teaching, and clinical involvement.