Bryn S. Esplin, JD, HEC-C, CPPS
Education Director Institute for Healthcare AccessBiography
Bryn S. Esplin is an instructional associate professor in the Department of Humanities in Medicine at Texas A&M University and holds a courtesy appointment at its School of Law. Dr. Esplin comes to the institute from the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC), where she directed the Medical Ethics and Professional Identity curriculum, overseeing interprofessional activities within the health science center, including UNTHSC’s College of Pharmacy and Physician Assistant Studies, and UT Arlington's School of Social Work. She also serves as an Advanced Care Planning Consultant for the Cleveland Clinic, where she completed her Advanced Bioethics Fellowship in 2016 after obtaining her law degree.
Dr. Esplin’s scholarly and research interests are centered around clinical ethics, patient safety and health law, and her pedagogy emphasizes the social, legal and ethical aspects of medical decision-making, ensuring trainees are exposed to and embrace all stakeholder perspectives to maximize patient autonomy, safety, and access.
She is a frequent speaker at both national and international conferences in bioethics, health law and health humanities, and her scholarship has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including Harvard’s Health and Human Rights Journal, The Psychiatric Times, and the American Journal of Bioethics, Neuroscience.
Education
- BA in rhetoric, image and narrative University of California, Berkeley
- JD University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Fellowship Cleveland Clinic Foundation (advanced bioethics)
- HEC-C Certified health care ethics consultant
- CPPS Certified professional in patient safety, Institute for Healthcare Improvement
Research Interests
Patient safety
Focuses on strategies, standards, and practices that reduce risks and harm in health care delivery.
Systems thinking, human factors engineering & design
Examines how systems approaches and human-centered design improve safety, efficiency, and outcomes in health care.
Interdisciplinary education, evaluation & assessment
Explores methods of teaching, measuring, and fostering collaboration across diverse health professions.
Health law and disaster prevention
Analyzes the legal frameworks and policies that guide preparedness and response to public health emergencies.
Awards & Honors
- Outstanding Advisor Office of Student Development, UNTHSC Excellence in Teaching, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
- Clinical Ethicist and Patient Safety Monitor National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases’ Data and Safety Monitoring Board
- Member American Society for Bioethics and Humanities
- Member Academy for Professionalism in health care
- Member North Texas Bioethics Network
Fun Facts
Banjo Player
In a previous life, Dr. Esplin could be seen playing banjo in Vegas dive bars.
Beauty Queen Lineage
Dr. Esplin’s great grandmother, Roma Esplin, was Southern Utah’s first beauty queen.
Lyric Master
Dr. Esplin knows all the words to “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” and “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”