Augusta leaders got a first-hand look at life in the medical field Thursday. MCGHealth’s CSRA In Scrubs focused on patient needs including one involving ethical decisions; the difficult choices doctors’ help patients make in the face of life or death.

MCGHealth medical staff and community leaders decided what ethical decision they'd make in complicated cases. One scenario was a 17 year-old cancer patient who wanted to end her care, but her parents wanted more aggressive treatment to keep her alive. Whose wishes should the hospital honor? Even for Superior Court Judge Danny Craig the hypothetical case is a tough one.

“There is not law that can district what a doctor should do or a hospital should do, there are not specific legal obligations,” he said.

In scenario two there are more questions than answers. A pregnant woman is facing a premature birth. But because of her religious beliefs she wants divine help instead of medical attention, even tough she and the baby could both die. Should doctors induce labor or respect the mother's faith?

“We never cease to learn here every time we run into an ethical dilemma we learn something about people, our own vices, values and health care in general,” said Ann Swindler, Director of MCGHealth’s Risk Management.

Swindler says ethics committees made up of medical staff, lawyers and the community make decisions on case by case basis. But since they are only recommendations the patient and their families usually have the final say.

“We believe in the freedom of the patient to determine their care and treatment,” she said.

A freedom she says should be exercised by everyone before the unthinkable happens. She says patients should sign an Advance Directive.

“It's very easy to fill out you don't need an attorney and it basically spells out what level of treatment you'd like to have,” she said.

It's that thinking ahead that could make a tough situation a little easier.