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ACHE Code of Ethics*
*As amended by the Board of Governors on March 16, 2007.
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PREAMBLE
The purpose of the Code of Ethics of the American
College of Healthcare Executives is to serve as a standard
of conduct for affiliates. It contains standards of ethical
behavior for healthcare executives in their professional relationships.
These relationships include colleagues, patients or others
served; members of the healthcare executive’s organization
and other organizations, the community, and society as a whole.
The
Code of Ethics also incorporates standards of ethical
behavior governing individual behavior, particularly when that
conduct directly relates to the role and identity of the healthcare
executive.
The
fundamental objectives of the healthcare management profession
are to maintain or enhance the overall quality of life, dignity
and well-being of every individual needing healthcare service
and to create a more equitable, accessible, effective and
efficient healthcare system.
Healthcare
executives have an obligation to act in ways that will merit
the trust, confidence and respect of healthcare professionals
and the general public. Therefore, healthcare executives should
lead lives that embody an exemplary system of values and ethics.
In
fulfilling their commitments and obligations to patients or
others served, healthcare executives function as moral advocates
and models. Since every management decision affects the health
and well-being of both individuals and communities, healthcare
executives must carefully evaluate the possible outcomes of
their decisions. In organizations that deliver healthcare
services, they must work to safeguard and foster the rights,
interests and prerogatives of patients or others served.
The
role of moral advocate requires that healthcare executives
take actions necessary to promote such rights, interests
and prerogatives.
Being
a model means that decisions and actions will reflect personal
integrity and ethical leadership that others will seek to
emulate.
I.
THE HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVE'S RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE PROFESSION
OF HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT
The
healthcare executive shall:
-
Uphold the Code of Ethics and mission
of the American College of Healthcare Executives;
-
Conduct professional activities
with honesty, integrity, respect, fairness and good faith
in a manner that will reflect well upon the profession;
-
Comply with all laws and regulations pertaining
to healthcare management in the jurisdictions in which the
healthcare executive is located or conducts professional
activities;
-
Maintain competence and proficiency in healthcare
management by implementing a personal program of assessment
and continuing professional education;
-
Avoid the improper exploitation of professional relationships
for personal gain;
-
Disclose financial and other conflicts of interest;
-
Use this Code to further the interests
of the profession and not for selfish reasons;
-
Respect professional confidences;
-
Enhance the dignity and image of the healthcare
management profession through positive public information
programs; and
-
Refrain from participating in any activity
that demeans the credibility and dignity of the healthcare
management profession.
II.
THE HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVE'S RESPONSIBILITIES TO PATIENTS OR
OTHERS SERVED
The
healthcare executive shall, within the scope of his or her
authority:
-
Work to ensure the existence of a process
to evaluate the quality of care or service rendered;
-
Avoid practicing or facilitating discrimination
and institute safeguards to prevent discriminatory organizational
practices;
-
Work to ensure the existence of a process
that will advise patients or others served of the rights,
opportunities, responsibilities and risks regarding available
healthcare services;
-
Work to ensure that there is a process
in place to facilitate the resolution of conflicts that
may arise when values of patients and their families differ
from those of employees and physicians;
-
Demonstrate zero tolerance for any abuse
of power that compromises patients or others served;
-
Work to provide a process that ensures
the autonomy and self-determination of patients or others
served; and
-
Work to ensure the existence of procedures
that will safeguard the confidentiality and privacy of patients
or others served.
III.
THE HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVE'S RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE ORGANIZATION
The
healthcare executive shall, within the scope of his or her authority:
- Provide healthcare services consistent with available resources,
and when there are limited resources, work to ensure the existence
of a resource allocation process that considers ethical ramifications;
- Conduct both competitive and cooperative activities in ways
that improve community healthcare services;
- Lead the organization in the use and improvement of standards
of management and sound business practices;
- Respect the customs and practices of patients or others
served, consistent with the organization’s philosophy;
- Be truthful in all forms of professional and organizational
communication, and avoid disseminating information that is
false, misleading or deceptive;
- Report negative financial and other information promptly
and accurately, and initiate appropriate action;
- Prevent fraud and abuse and aggressive accounting practices
that may result in disputable financial reports;
- Create an organizational environment in which both clinical
and management mistakes are minimized and, when they do occur,
are disclosed and addressed effectively;
- Implement an organizational code of ethics and monitor compliance;
and
- Provide ethics resources to staff to address organizational
and clinical issues.
IV.
THE HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVE'S RESPONSIBILITIES TO EMPLOYEES
Healthcare
executives have ethical and professional obligations to the
employees they manage that encompass but are not limited to:
- Creating a work environment that promotes ethical conduct
by employees;
Providing a work environment that encourages a free expression of ethical concerns and provides mechanisms for discussing and addressing such
concerns;
Providing a work environment that discourages harassment,
sexual and other; coercion of any kind, especially to perform
illegal or unethical acts; and discrimination on the basis
of race, ethnicity, creed, gender, sexual orientation, age,
or disability;
Providing a work environment that promotes the proper use
of employees' knowledge and skills;
Providing a safe work environment; and
- Establishing appropriate grievance and appeals mechanisms.
V.
THE HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVE'S RESPONSIBILITIES TO COMMUNITY AND
SOCIETY
The
healthcare executive shall:
- Work to identify and meet the healthcare needs of the community;
- Work to support access to healthcare services for all people;
- Encourage and participate in public dialogue on healthcare
policy issues, and advocate solutions that will improve health
status and promote quality healthcare;
- Apply short- and long-term assessments to management decisions
affecting both community and society; and
- Provide prospective patients and others with adequate and
accurate information, enabling them to make enlightened decisions
regarding services.
VI.
THE HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REPORT VIOLATIONS
OF THE CODE
An
affiliate of ACHE who has reasonable grounds to believe that
another affiliate has violated this Code has a duty
to communicate such facts to the Ethics Committee.
ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES
- ACHE Ethical Policy
Statements
- ACHE Grievance Procedure
- ACHE Ethics Committee Action
- ACHE Ethics Committee
Scope and Function
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here to download a printer-friendly PDF of the Code
of Ethics. |
