"Ethical behavior means
being honest, telling the truth, and doing what you said you were
going to do."
Barbara Jordan, (19361996)
Former U.S. Congresswoman |
Letter from the
President
As each of us at UTMB go about the day-to-day work of fulfilling
our patient care, education, research and community service missions,
we must be ever-mindful of the many federal and state laws and
regulations with which we much all comply. As a leading academic
medical center and as a state institution, we have an obligation
to promote the highest standards of compliance in all our activities.
For this reason, we have made and will continue to make a significant
and sincere effort to ensure that every UTMB employee is aware
of our commitment to follow the laws and regulations that pertain
to us. This booklet, Portrait of Integrity: Standards of Conduct
Guide, is an important component of this communication effort.
It is a resource to help you understand the major compliance requirements
in your day-to-day work.
The regulations we must follow are many. They relate to such diverse
areas as Medicare and Medicaid, human resources, affirmative action,
fair labor standards, hazardous materials, handling wastewater,
and use of computers and other state resources. While not everyone
can know every law that relates to UTMB, there are significant
areas of the law that relate to each of us. It is our responsibility
as individuals and professionals to become familiar with and to
properly apply these rules, which were created to protect our
fellow employees, our patients and our students, as well as our
standing as a public trust.
This is the second edition of Portrait of Integrity. As
in the first edition, a clear, concise statement of UTMB’s
core purpose and core values is included. Personal examples of
ethical and professional behavior from throughout our long-standing
history of service to the health of Texas provide a fitting backdrop.
Changes to the law and policies that have been adopted since the
1999 edition have been included. While this guide is not all-inclusive,
it is indicative of situations we face most often during the workday
and it offers answers to some common questions and issues.
I encourage you to read this edition of Portrait of Integrity,
become familiar with the content and refer to it whenever you
have a question about compliance. If you have a question that
isn’t addressed in the publication or you need further information
on a compliance-related issue, please do not hesitate to contact
one of the compliance officers listed in the booklet. Together,
we can create an environment of integrity for our co-workers,
our patients, our students and our guests.
Sincerely,
John D. Stobo, M.D.
President |
