Why the Hospital Ethics Committee is Your Friend
December 17
Click HERE to Access Teams Link
Why the Hospital Ethics Committee is Your Friend
Presented By: Joseph Kotva, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine; Co-director, S-CHIP (Summer Community Health Innovation Program); Co-director, Scholarly Concentration in Ethics, Equity, and Justice
Dr. Joe Kotva is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine’s South Bend campus, where he co‑directs the Summer Community Health Innovation Program (S‑CHIP) and the Scholarly Concentration in Ethics, Equity, and Justice. He earned his PhD in theological ethics from Fordham University, following earlier degrees in theology and humanities, and has a background in Christian ethics and virtue ethics with a longstanding commitment to medical ethics, clergy ethics, and moral formation
Within S‑CHIP—a hands-on summer initiative with undergrads and medical students—Dr. Kotva emphasizes the integration of community health, justice, and innovative community-based practice. As co‑director of the Ethics, Equity, and Justice concentration, he guides students through the moral dimensions of medicine and health disparities, blending narrative ethics and virtue ethics with experiential learning opportunities in the South Bend community.
A published scholar with expertise spanning virtue ethics, narrative ethics, theology, and clinical ethics, Dr. Kotva has contributed widely to understanding the moral formation of clinicians and the ethics of caregiving institutions. His approach foregrounds justice, social determinants of health, and community-centered scholarship.
At Indiana University, he received the Trustees’ Teaching Award in April 2025 in recognition of his excellence in guiding future physicians.
