University of Mary Bioethics Alum Points to Power of NCBC Seminar

Registration is open for the Oct. 1-2 seminar at the University of Mary, bringing timely ethical questions from human dignity to artificial intelligence

BISMARCK, N.D. - Russell Lee entered the National Catholic Bioethics Center's Healthcare Ethics Certification program looking for tools to navigate complex decisions in healthcare. What he found eventually led him to the University of Mary, where he earned a Master of Science in Bioethics this spring and is now pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.

Registration is now open for the University of Mary's NCBC Two-Day Seminar, and Lee's journey illustrates why it's designed for a wide range of professionals. The Oct. 1-2 seminar brings together clergy, educators, students, ethicists, business leaders, attorneys and healthcare professionals to examine ethical questions that affect everyone.

Additionally, healthcare professionals can earn up to 10 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ or 9.0 nursing continuing professional development credits at the seminar, helping them meet licensure requirements while examining the ethical questions they face in practice.

From certification to deeper formation

Lee initially pursued NCBC certification because his work in home health placed him at the intersection of patient autonomy, quality of care and regulatory requirements. He wanted to move beyond compliance and better understand the ethical principles guiding patient-centered care.

Its practical, case-based approach helped him examine competing values and facilitate difficult conversations.

"The experience reinforced that ethical leadership is not always about finding a perfect answer, but rather about ensuring that decisions are made through a fair, transparent, and principled process," Lee said.

Through the University's longstanding partnership with NCBC, students who complete the NCBC certification can transfer 10 graduate credits into Mary's Master of Science in Bioethics program.

"The University of Mary's Master of Science in Bioethics stood out because it offered the depth and breadth I was seeking while allowing me to apply what I learned directly to my leadership role in healthcare," Lee said.

Putting bioethics into practice

As a Clinical Nursing Manager with Franciscan Alliance, Lee oversees patient care, leads staff, monitors quality outcomes, coordinates interdisciplinary care and helps address complex clinical and ethical decisions. His bioethics education has given him a framework for considering human dignity and autonomy alongside clinical outcomes.

He recalled one situation involving a patient with advanced chronic illness whose family wanted increasingly aggressive interventions while the patient had expressed a desire for comfort-focused care. Drawing on his bioethics training, Lee helped guide conversations about goals of care, the benefits and burdens of treatment, and the distinction between prolonging life and prolonging dying.

The care plan centered on comfort, dignity and the patient's wishes.

"It has helped me become a more thoughtful leader who seeks not only what can be done clinically, but also what ought to be done ethically and compassionately," Lee said, and he encourages professionals to attend not simply to add another credential, but to become better equipped to face difficult questions.

A seminar for anyone willing to ask the hard questions

That practical application is at the heart of the NCBC Two-Day Seminar. Presentations by NCBC ethicists will address issues including human dignity, end-of-life care, reproductive technologies and emerging medical innovations. This year's seminar features a lecture on the ethical considerations surrounding artificial intelligence.

"The NCBC Two-Day Seminar is unique because it combines the highest level of Catholic bioethics scholarship with practical application to the real ethical challenges people encounter every day," said Megan Schneider, bioethics program coordinator and assistant professor at the University of Mary.

"Bioethics is no longer a discipline reserved for healthcare professionals alone," Schneider added. "Questions surrounding human dignity, artificial intelligence, end-of-life care, reproductive technologies, and emerging medical innovations affect every family and every community."

The seminar also offers continuing education opportunities for healthcare professionals, including up to 10 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners, and 9.0 nursing continuing professional development credits.

The NCBC Two-Day Seminar is open to people of all professions. Registration is through the National Catholic Bioethics Center.

Healthcare professionals can also look ahead to the University of Mary's Saint Gianna Conference for Healthcare Professionals, scheduled for Dec. 3-5, offering another opportunity to explore healthcare through the lens of faith, ethics and compassionate service.