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The American College of Healthcare Executives' Commitment to Ethical Conduct

On any given day, a healthcare executive may face a daunting array of ethical dilemmas. These dilemmas could range from bioethical issues (for example, deciding how to frame a hospital's policy regarding the right to die), to business issues (for example, deciding whether to maintain an unprofitable but needed community service during a time of intense competition and budget constraints), to personal issues (for example, deciding how to deal with an impaired colleague). In confronting such dilemmas, healthcare executives regularly are challenged to balance community and business needs within the context of personal, organizational, and community values. As leaders of organizations responsible for the well-being of others, healthcare executives are rightfully held to a high standard of ethical behavior, both in their business and personal conduct. Since its earliest years, the American College of Healthcare Executives has helped to guide executives in dealing with ethical dilemmas and to establish a framework for ethical conduct. The College's first Code of Ethics was approved in 1941, and it has undergone many revisions to reflect a growing understanding of the ethical challenges faced by the changing healthcare field. The College's Code of Ethics defines its purpose as "a guide to conduct for members" and its contents as "standards of ethical behavior for healthcare executives in their professional relationships" both within and outside the executive's organization. The Code of Ethics also addresses "personal behavior, particularly when that conduct directly relates to the role and identity of the healthcare executive." The Code is divided into five basic sections. The first section is entitled "The Healthcare Executive's Responsibilities to the Profession of Healthcare Management." As its heading suggests, this section outlines overarching standards of ethical behavior for healthcare executives, including upholding "the values, ethics, and mission of the healthcare management profession" and conducting "all personal and professional activities with honesty, integrity, respect, fairness, and good faith.... " Section II addresses "The Healthcare Executive's Responsibilities to Patients or Others Served, to the Organization and to Employees." These responsibilities underscore that in any professional decision, a healthcare executive must consider the sometimes conflicting needs of these three stakeholders. For example, a decision to cut costs by reducing staff would have to be considered in light of the potential effects on patient care, on the staff who would be laid off, and on the staff who would continue to work at the organization. The following are a few examples of the actions for which this section holds healthcare executives responsible: For patients and others served: evaluating the quality of the organization's care or service, avoiding discrimination, and protecting patient rights; For the organization: weighing available resources against services provided, employing "sound business practices," and being truthful in all forms of communication; and For employees: creating a working environment conducive to ethical conduct, addressing employee ethical concerns, and freeing the working environment of harassment. …