Clinicians have an ethical obligation to promote health equity in their communities. This month, we discuss how clinicians worked to expose the water crisis in Flint, and explore ways that clinicians can combat systemic injustice and promote health equity.

Labels commonly used in clinical settings, like “elective” or “therapeutic,” influence how we think about the justifiability of abortion. We talk with Professor Katie Watson and Dr Maryl Sackeim about how the language clinicians use to describe abortion can affect patients’ experiences and even cause harm.

Megan Chao Smith joins Ethics Talk to discuss their article, coauthored with Dr Shanda Demorest: “How Should Clinicians and Health Care Organizations Respond When Civic Planning Concentrates Waste Processing in Minoritized Communities?”

Dr Mignon Duffy joins Ethics Talk to discuss her article: “Why Improving Low-Wage Health Care Jobs Is Critical for Health Equity.”

Lloyd Duplechan joins Ethics Talk to discuss his article, coauthored with Dr David Sine: “Roles of Environmental Services Workers’ Wages and Status in Patient Safety.”

Professor Nicole Hallet joins Ethics Talk to discuss her article: “Wage Theft and Worker Exploitation in Health Care.”

Dr Isa Ryan joins Ethics Talk to discuss her article, coauthored with Dr Ashish Premkumar and Professor Katie Watson: “Why the Post-Roe Era Requires Protecting Conscientious Provision as We Protect Conscientious Refusal in Health Care.”

Dr Shawn G. Gibbs joins Ethics Talk to discuss industrial hygiene, biocontainment, and how to build more sustainable health systems. 

Debbie Berkowitz joins Ethics Talk to discuss her article, coauthored with Anna D. Goff, Dr Kathleen Marie Fagan, and Dr Monica L. Gerrek: "Do Clinics in Meat and Poultry Plants Endanger Workers?”

Dr Lisa M. Lee joins Ethics Talk to discuss her article, coauthored with Dr Anita L. Allen: "How Should Clinicians Own Their Roles as Past and Present Exacerbators of Health Inequity and as Present and Future Contributors to Health Equity?”