Colleen M. Gallagher, PhD, MA, LSW, FACHE, HEC-C
Department of Critical Care Medicine, Division of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, and Pain Medicine
About Dr. Gallagher
Colleen M. Gallagher, PhD, LSW, FACHE, HEC-C is Senior Counselor, Bioethics & Health Policy, and professor. Previously she served as Executive Director, Clinical Ethics at MD Anderson for nearly 15 years. She received her Doctoral degree i n Bioethics In Health Care Professions and Social Work from The Union Institute and University, Cincinnati, Ohio, and completed an ethics fellowship at Georgetown University, in Washington, DC.
Dr. Gallagher applies her knowledge of health care ethics, compassion, communication and mediation into the goals of care for patients. Her work in this area focuses on the assessment and management of ethical issues concerning patients with complex symptom problems from the time of diagnosis, throughout treatment, during survivorship and at the end of life. Dr. Gallagher is a national leader in health care ethics. She has worked in the fields of social work and health care ethics since 1985. Dr. Gallagher oversees a network of clinical rounds, ethics consults and research. She has authored and co-authored peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and made presentations on a broad range of topics in the field of health care ethics. She holds appointments on various national and international committees, including Food and Drug Administration Molecular Devices Committee, International Ethics Expert for both UNESCO Chair in Science and Technology and UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights. She has served also as Co-Chair of Clinical Ethics Consultation Affairs Committee for American Society of Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH); Ethicist for the Healthcare Quality Professional Task Team of the National Association for Healthcare Quality, and several others.Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Sr. Counselor, Bioethics & Health Policy, Department of Ethics, Division of Ofc/EVP, Physician-in-Chief, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, HOUSTON, TX
Professor, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Division of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine and Pain Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Professor, School of Health Professions, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2004 | The Union Institute and University, Cincinnati, OH, USA, PHD, Bioethics in the Health Professions AND Social Work |
| 1988 | John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, USA, MA, Counseling and Human Services |
| 1985 | Notre Dame College of Ohio, South Euclid, OH, USA, BA, Individual and Social Behavior (Social Work) |
Board Certifications
| 2018 | Healthcare Ethics Consultation Certification Commission |
| 2007 | American College of Healthcare Executives |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Associate Professor, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Division of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine and Pain Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2009 - 2015
Associate Professor, Department of School of Health Professions, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2008 - 2015
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Executive Director, Department of Clinical Ethics, Chief, Section of Integrated Ethics in Cancer Care, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2008 - 2022
Other Appointments/Responsibilities
Panel Member and Consultant to the Molecular and Clinical Genetics Devices and Other Panels of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services - Public Health Service, Silver Spring, MD, 2011 - Present
System Director, Clinical Ethics, Resurrection Health Care, Chicago, IL, 2001 - 2008
Bioethics Consultant, Secretariat for Catholic Charities Health and Human Services, Cleveland, OH, 1999 - 2001
Institutional Committee Activities
Ex-Oficio Member, Quality Improvement Assessment Board, 2011 - Present
Member, 2009 Annual Retreat Planning Committee for Clinical Ethics Committee, 2008 - 2009
Member, Joint Commission Readiness Chapter Leader Team, 2008 - Present
Consultantships
Ethicist, National Association for Healthcare Quality, Glenview, IL, 2010 - 2013
Consultant/Panel Member, Department of Health and Human Services - Public Health Service, Silver Spring, Maryland, 2010 - Present
Honors & Awards
| 2011 | Presidential Citation Award, American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH) |
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Carrese, JA, et al. HCEC Pearls and Pitfalls: Suggested Do's and Don'ts for Healthcare Ethics Consultants. The Journal of Clinical Ethics 23(3):234-240, 2012.
- Gallagher CM, Holmes, R.. A Retrospective Review of Medical Futility and Ethics Consultations at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Journal of Clinical Research and Bioethics 2(115), 2012.
- Gallagher CM, Holmes RF. Handling Cases of 'Medical Futility'. HEC Forum 24(2):91-98. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21915638.
- Schlumbrecht MP, Gallagher CM, Sun CC, Ramondetta LM, Bodurka DC. Ethics Consultation on a Gynecologic Oncology Service: An Opportunity for Physician Education. J Cancer Educ 26(1):183-7, 2011. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20835927.
- Allesee L, Gallagher CM. Pregnancy and Protection: the Ethics of Limiting a Pregnant Woman's Participation in Clinical Trials. J Clin Res Bioeth 2(2):1-5, 2011. PMID: 21863146.
Abstracts
- Farroni JS, Price KJ, Gallagher CM. "When the Relevant Functions Cease”: The Policy/Practice Divide and Ethical Challenges in Determining Death". UNESCO Chair in Bioethics 10th World Conference, 2015.
- Gallagher, CM. Dealing with Family Requests for Euthanasia: Identifying which Human Need to Address. 18th Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Supportive Care, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2014.
- Farroni JS, Moore JA, & Gallagher CM. Enriching Ethics Education Through Technology. International Association for Education in Ethics, 2014.
- Farroni, JS, Moore, JA, & Gallagher, CM. An Ethical Framework for Disclosing Individual Genetic Findings to a Patient or Research Participant's Relatives. Translational Science 2014 Annual Meeting, 2014.
- Moore, JA, Farroni, JS, & Gallagher, CM. Advocating for the Adolescent’s Voice in Advance Care Planning. International Conference on Clinical Ethics and Consultation, 2013.
- Gallagher, CM & Moore, JA. Ethics Consultation When Patient has both Cancer and Lack of Cognitive Capacity/Mental Illness. 9th International Conference for Clinical Ethics Consultation, 2013.
- Gallagher, CM & Moore, JA. Ethics Consultation When Patient Has Both Cancer and Lack of Cognitive Capacity/Mental Illness. 9th International Conference for Clinical Ethics Consultation, 2013.
- Gallagher, CM. What Does Ethics Have To Do With It?. American College of Healthcare Executives, 2013.
- Moore, JA & Gallagher, CM. Efforts Toward Comprehensive Healthcare Ethics Education. International Conference on Education in Ethics: Center for Healthcare Ethics at Duquesne University, 2012.
- Moore, JA & Gallagher, CM. Cultural Diversity in Healthcare Ethics Consultation: Teaching and Learning From One Another. 8th International Conference on Clinical Ethics and Consultation-Clinical Bioethics in Diversity, 2012.
- Aulisio, M, Weiss, R, Gallagher, CM, & Moore, JA. Mental Illness: Transforming the Definition of “End Stage” and “Terminal” Illness. American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, 2011.
Book Chapters
- Allesee, L & Gallagher, CM. Including and Protecting Pregnancy Women in Clinical Trials. In: Cancer-Cares, Treatments and Preventions. iConcept Press, 2014.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Bioethics Initiative for Equity in Health Care and Research at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCMHD |
| Role: | Co-Principal Investigator |
| Title: | ENGAGE |
| Funding Source: | Kingston General Hospital in Ottawa, Canada |
| Role: | Collaborator |
| Title: | Interactive, electronic informed consent with integrated decision support for complex clinical trials: Pilot study and preliminary efficacy assessment |
| Funding Source: | Mike Hogg Fund |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Interactive Electronic Informed Consent with Integrated Decision Support for Complex Clinical Trials: Pilot Study and Preliminary Efficacy Assessment |
| Funding Source: | Study Section Review Committee for Clinical, Translational, and Population-Based Research Projects |
| Role: | Collaborator |
| Title: | Development of a decision aid prototype for end-of-life conversations in hospitalized patients with advanced cancer |
| Funding Source: | University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| Role: | Collaborator |