Frontiers of Health Services Management - Fall 2013 - (Page 15)

H Ethics as the Foundation the business of healthcare is distinct from the business of business: “Health services organizations . . . are social enterprises with an economic dimension, rather than economic organizations with a social dimension” (Darr 2011, 289). those who provide care to patients—clinical practitioners such as physicians, nurses, social workers, and pharmacists—have long adhered to codes of professional ethics, which reflect a set of shared practitioner values. in all of these codes, the practitioner’s responsibility for the care of each patient is paramount. freeman and Stewart (2006, 3) state that an ethical culture starts with ethical leaders who “embody the purpose, vision, and values of the organization and of the constituents, within an understanding of ethical ideals.” they offer the following ten-point framework for developing and evaluating ethical leadership and creating an ethical organizational culture. Ethical leaders must • articulate and embody the purpose and values of the organization; • focus on organizational success rather than personal ego; • find the best people; • create a living conversation about ethics, values, and the creation of value for stakeholders; • create mechanisms of dissent; • take a charitable understanding of others’ values; • make tough calls while being imaginative; • know the limits of their values and ethical principles; • frame actions in ethical terms; and • connect basic values to stakeholder support and societal legitimacy. John J. D onne l l a n Jr., FAC H E • 15 f e a t u r e ealthcare organizations are, by their very nature and mission, values based. i cannot think of a healthcare organization—public, private, or nonprofit— that does not have a mission statement rooted in a carefully articulated set of organizational values. indeed, the principal organization that accredits healthcare systems, the Joint commission (2011), requires one to be in place. But have these statements been translated into shared values that are apparent in the behaviors of the organization’s associates at every level, that is, trustees, staff, contractual partners, and so forth? are they reflected in day-today clinical and managerial operations and strategic decision making? Do they serve as a moral compass to guide the organization and its staff? translating an organization’s mission, vision, and values statements into a set of shared values—a common morality, a “moral compass”—is critically important to steer behavior and decision making, especially in times of ethical uncertainty. Doing so requires that leaders of healthcare organizations take a broad view of the role of ethics in managing a healthcare system, that responsibilities traditionally viewed as managerial be examined on their ethical merits, and that ethical behavior be defined as more than merely obeying the rules. in what follows, i explore the differences between ethics programs and compliance programs and offer some practical suggestions for establishing a solid ethical infrastructure that guides organizational behavior and decision making, resolves current and prevents future ethical conflicts, and reduces moral distress.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Frontiers of Health Services Management - Fall 2013

Frontiers of Health Services Management - Fall 2013
Contents
Editorial
The Case for Values as a Basis for Organizational Culture
A Moral Compass for Management Decision Making: A Healthcare CEO’s Reflections
Ethics, Values, and Decision Making
Wanted: Morally Courageous Leaders
The Imperative of a Moral Compass–Driven Healthcare Organization

Frontiers of Health Services Management - Fall 2013

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