Scott N. Helstad, PhD, MA
Sioux Falls,SD
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Ethics
Avera Health
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
07.2025 - Current
- Serves as a system-wide resource for review on matters affecting Catholic identity.
- Provides education in healthcare ethics, Catholic moral theology, and Catholic social teaching to physicians, clinical professionals, administrators, and organizational leaders.
- Advises clinical and organizational leaders on complex ethical questions through the lens of the Catholic intellectual tradition.
- Developing a system-wide formation pathway to cultivate ethical competencies among employees and leaders.
- Supports seven regional ethics committees, serving as an ethics content expert and providing ongoing education, case consultation, and consultant formation.
- Developed a comprehensive ethics consultation model integrating Epic-based consultation processes, a regional service structure, and consultant education and formation to strengthen ethics capacity across the health system.
- Collaborates with Ministry Formation, Spiritual Care, and Organizational Culture on strategic initiatives to strengthen Catholic identity and advance the organization’s mission.
Director of Ethics
CHRISTUS Health
Irving, TX
01.2024 - 05.2025
- Responded to system-wide clinical and organizational ethical consultations.
- Supported 12 ethics committees; attended meetings as an ethics content expert by providing educational modules and consultation experience.
- Worked with committee chairs (VP of Mission Integration) to improve the ethics consultation process in their region.
- Created system-wide ethics presentations, resources, and initiatives.
- Advised on system and regional policy.
- Monitored system-wide ethics consultation data for board reporting.
- Quality improvement for Epic Systems' for regional committees and consultations.
- Primary Mission Reviewer for Institutional Review Board member.
- Fostered excellence in patient care and Catholic identity for the organization.
Graduate & Teaching Assistant
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA
08.2022 - 12.2023
- Taught undergraduate students various subjects: global bioethics, healthcare ethics, philosophical ethical reasoning, and research ethics.
- Supported course administration, facilitated classroom activities, and graded student assignments and essays.
- Prepared and provided individual and small group support to reinforce classroom topics and promote student learning.
- Established positive relationships with students, fellow professors, and school administrators by understanding different learning and relationship styles.
Ethics Intern
Christus Health
Irving, TX
05.2023 - 08.2023
- Consulted on clinical and organizational ethical dilemmas with clinicians, executives, ethicists, and mission leaders.
- Created educational resources on the ethical implications of Texas law changes pertaining to CHRISTUS Health's policy and clinical practices.
- Participated in regional and system-wide ethics committee meetings.
- Researched and consulted on topics including Catholic identity, cooperation with evil, surrogacy, emergency contraceptives, suspending DNR during dialysis, and the neurological criteria of death.
Intensive Care Clinical Rounding
UPMC Mercy
Pittsburgh, PA
08.2022 - 05.2023
- Identified ethical considerations to study the various dilemmas that could arise and need to be resolved.
- Attended monthly ethics committee meetings, to learn principles and review particular cases in the UPMC systems.
- Experience writing consult notes and recommendations following an ethical consultation.
- Experienced and understood the complexity and nuance behind working in a fast-paced clinical setting.
- Learned medical terminology and hospital operations through observation and integrating meaning and experience back to course curriculum.
Mission Integration Intern
Christus Health
Irving, TX
05.2021 - 05.2022
- Collaborated with Spiritual Care, Ethics, Formation, Community Benefit, Health Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, on various projects to integrate CHRISTUS’s mission and values throughout the organization.
- Worked on system-wide projects to address clinician fatigue, racial inequities, ethical dilemmas, resiliency, and employee formation.
- Experienced in CHRISTUS’s operational management, Catholic healthcare, Catholic Social Teaching – Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services & various related documents.
- Crucial Conversations and Critical Incident Stress Management Certified
Education
Ph.D. - Catholic Healthcare Ethics
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA05-2025
Master of Arts - Catholic Studies
University of St. Thomas
Saint Paul, MN08-2022
Bachelor of Arts - Business Administration And Management
University of St. Thomas
Saint Paul, MN08-2020
Skills
- Teaching and Curriculum Development
- Public Speaking and Professional Education
- Ethical Analysis and Case Consultation
- Mediation and Conflict Resolution
- Strategic Planning and Program Development
- Qualitative and Quantitative Research
- Statistical Analysis
- Epic and MEDITECH
Academic Presentations
- "The Consideration of Personhood for the Neurological Criteria for Death." Dust of the Earth: On Persons. De Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, University of Notre Dame, 2023.
Selected Professional Presentations
- "Living Catholic Social Teaching." Leaders in Ministry, Avera Health. February 2026.
- "Mission, Morals, & Medicine: Leading with the ERDs." Leaders in Ministry, Avera Health. April 2026.
- "Artificial Intelligence in Catholic Healthcare: History, Principles, and Path Forward." Human Resources Day, Avera Health. October 2026. Forthcoming.
- "From Cure to Care: Redefining Success in End of Life Oncology Care." 2026 Avera Cancer Institute Oncology Symposium, Avera Health. October 2026. Forthcoming.
- “The Seventh Edition of the Ethical and Religious Directives: Overview, Updates, and Impact.” The Gift of Life, The Grace of Dying: 2026 Diocese of New Ulm Ethics Conference. October 2026. Forthcoming.
- "Care for the Seriously Ill and Dying: A Guide to Part Five of the ERDs.” The Gift of Life, The Grace of Dying: 2026 Diocese of New Ulm Ethics Conference. October 2026. Forthcoming.
Publications
- Helstad, Scott; Barina, Rachelle. "The Sixth Annual Catholic Health Care Innovation in Ethics Forum." Health Care Ethics USA, Spring 2025.
- Helstad, Scott. "The Resilience of Double Effect Reasoning in Healthcare." Resilience in Ecology and Health, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2023.
Research Areas
- Catholic Moral Tradition: Moral Reasoning, Principles of Double Effect and Cooperation, Thomistic Moral Thought, Papal Moral Teaching, Contributions of Pope Pius XII
- Catholic Bioethics: Organ Donation, Neurological Criteria for Death, Reproductive Technologies, Suffering/End of Life, Ethical & Religious Directives, and Artificial Intelligence
- Catholic Institutional Identity, Mission, and Organizational Ethics
- Catholic Social Teaching
Timeline
Director of Ethics
Avera Health
07.2025 - Current
Director of Ethics
CHRISTUS Health
01.2024 - 05.2025
Ethics Intern
Christus Health
05.2023 - 08.2023
Graduate & Teaching Assistant
Duquesne University
08.2022 - 12.2023
Intensive Care Clinical Rounding
UPMC Mercy
08.2022 - 05.2023
Mission Integration Intern
Christus Health
05.2021 - 05.2022
Ph.D. - Catholic Healthcare Ethics
Duquesne University
Master of Arts - Catholic Studies
University of St. Thomas
Bachelor of Arts - Business Administration And Management
University of St. Thomas