Blythedale's Chief Legal Officer Speaks on Informed Consent

Adam Herbst, Esq., Chief Legal, Planning and Government Relations Officer for Blythedale Children’s Hospital, and Adjunct Professor of Law at New York Law School, spoke on “Informed Consent: The Physician’s Obligation and Patient-Doctor Relationship” at the David Rogers Health Policy Colloquium, at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City last week.

This year, the David Rogers Health Policy Colloquium is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The Colloquium was established by Dr. Rogers (MD ’48), who served as the first president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the largest foundation devoted exclusively to health care, when he returned to WCM in 1987. It features invited speakers who share the health policy implications of their works in progress. Participants include senior and junior faculty, nurses, social workers and medical students.

Effective communication and proper informed consent are at the cornerstone of the clinician–patient and clinician–parent relationship for effective health care delivery. 

"Consent to treatment is among the most complex ethical issues that health care providers face", said Herbst, a frequent lecturer on the topic. "It's important to understand what's involved. At Blythedale, we believe, both legally and ethically, that our patients have the right to direct what happens to their bodies and we work, (to the developmentally appropriate extent possible), to include our patients and families in the decision-making process."

At Blythedale, Mr. Herbst also serves as Chief Compliance Officer, providing legal and compliance oversight for the Hospital. He is responsible for developing corporate planning strategies and administering government relations, as well as advocacy and community relations.