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Erica K. Salter, Ph.D., HEC-C

Department chair; associate professor of health care ethics; associate professor of pediatrics
Department of Health Care Ethics

Associate professor
Department of Pediatrics

Education

  • Ph.D. in health care ethics from Saint Louis University
  • B.A. in philosophy and cognitive science from Rice University
  • Certified Healthcare Ethics Consultant  

Research Interests

Pediatric ethics; pediatric decision-making; ethics education; clinical ethics consultation.

Publications and Media Placements

Select Publications:

Hester, D.M., Salter, E.K., Lang, K. and Diekema, D. (2025). “Parents (of Minors) are Not Surrogates: Acknowledging the Unique Space of Parents, Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics, published online 26 Aug 2025.  

Special Thematic Issue, “Pediatric Decision-Making: Standards, Applications and Explorations”, Spring 2024.  Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, Spring 2024 issue. Guest editor, with Lainie Ross and Micah Hester.

Salter, E.K., Hester, D.M., Ross, L.F. 2024. “How we found consensus on pediatric decision-making and why it matters”, Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 67(2), 186-196.

Salter, E.K., Hester, D.M., Vinarscik, L. et al. (2023.) “Pediatric decision making: Consensus Recommendations”,    Pediatrics, 152(3) e2023061832.       

Hester, M. and Salter, E.K. (2022). “Reasonableness as a Relational Principle: An Integrated Framework for Pediatric Decision-Making”, Journal of Pediatrics, 251:30-35.

Salter, E.K. (2020).“The New Futility? The Rhetoric and Role of Suffering in Pediatric Decision-Making”, Nursing Ethics, 27(1): 16-27.

Honors and Awards

  • Saint Louis University Scholarly Works Award: Honorable Mention (2024)
  • SLU Graduate Mentoring Award: Nominee (2019, 2020 and 2024)
  • Baruch A Brody Lecture in Bioethics Award: Nominee (2021 and 2022)

Community Work and Service

  • Co-Chair, SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital Ethics Committee
  • Consultant, Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital Ethics Committee
  • Member, SSM Health SLU Hospital Ethics Committee