Spring DeVos Medical Ethics Colloquy 2026

Monday, March 23, 2026, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Loosemore Auditorium, 401 West Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI 49504, Grand Rapids , MI


AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (2.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (2.00 hours)

This session will examine the ethical, legal, and clinical challenges involved in determining patients’ decision-making capacity in complex hospital settings. Drawing on the work of psychiatrist and bioethicist Scott Y. H. Kim, MD, PhD, whose research includes decision-making capacity and surrogate decision-making, and the philosophical work of Ben Schwan, PhD, on the nature and importance of capacity and autonomy, the program will integrate conceptual analysis with real-world cases to highlight gray areas, common pitfalls, and best practices in capacity assessment.

1. Identify the core elements of decision-making capacity and describe how these elements apply in common inpatient scenarios.
2. Analyze ethically challenging cases in which capacity is contested and justify a defensible capacity determination that balances respect for autonomy with the duty to prevent harm.
3. Apply a structured framework for conducting and documenting capacity assessments in collaboration with the care team, surrogates, and ethics consultants or the courts.

Corewell Health West Michigan is accredited by the Michigan State Medical Society to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Corewell Health West Michigan designates this Live Activity for a maximum of 2.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of CorewellHealth West Michigan and Grand Valley State University.

 

Corewell Health West Michigan adheres to ACCME Criteria, Standards and Policies regarding industry support of continuing medical education. Disclosure of faculty and their commercial relationships will be made prior to the activity.

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

Corewell Health West Michigan adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers or others are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.