POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Medical/Dental
TITLE: Medical/Dental Staff Conduct
POLICY :
It is the policy of Westside Healthcare Association, Inc. to treat all
individuals within its facility with courtesy, respect and dignity. With
this in mind, it is the expectation that all individuals, employees,
physicians, and other medical staff conduct themselves in a
professional and cooperative manner in the clinic.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this policy is to ensure optimum patient care by
promoting a safe, cooperative and professional healthcare
environment and to eliminate, to the extent possible, conduct that:
 Disrupts the operation of the clinic
 Affects the ability of others to do their jobs
 Creates a hostile work environment for clinic employees or
other medical/dental staff members
 Interferes with an individual’s ability to practice competently
 Adversely affects or impacts the community’s confidence in
the clinic’s ability to provide quality patient care
Behavior
Expectations:
A. Team Relationships: Treats all team members with courtesy
and respect at all times.
B. Communications: Communication is clear and constructive
and occurs in a manner that allows all team members to feel
comfortable providing feedback without retribution.
Maintains self-control in tense situations, and refrains from
derogatory, sarcastic, abusive or intimidating remarks.
C. Contributes to a positive work environment:
Acknowledges team members. Works directly with medical
assistants, dental assistants, nurses, and other staff as
appropriate.
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D. Support of Learning: Contributes to the successful
development of team members. Demonstrates patience as
team members learn their roles, responsibilities, and gain
experience. Willingly responds and contributes to teaching
situations and positively contributes to an environment that
ensures all team members have the opportunity to learn.
Unacceptable
Behavior:
Whenever the professional activities or conduct of a Practitioner
are considered to be unacceptable, or are judged to be disruptive
of the operations of the clinic, corrective action may be requested.
Activities not involving clinical issues that are considered
disruptive to the operations of the clinic can consist of, but are
not limited to:
A. Any behaviors that are in conflict with Section I above.
B. Attacks – verbally or physically – leveled at other team
members, patients or families that are personal, irrelevant, or
beyond the bound of fair professional conduct.
C. Impertinent and inappropriate comments (or illustrations)
made in patient medical records or other official documents
that impugn the quality of care in the clinic or attack
particular physicians, clinic personnel, or clinic policies.
D. Criticism leveled at the recipient in such a way that it
intimidates, undermines confidence, belittles, or implies
stupidity or incompetence.
E. Participation in committee or departmental affairs is done in
an unprofessional and inappropriate manner.
F. Negligence or conduct which endangers patients.
G. Unauthorized access to or disclosure of patient information.
H. Sexual harassment or physical or verbal abuse of patients,
staff or others.
I. Criminal, fraudulent or other improper business conduct
relating to activities of the clinic.
J. Providing medical or dental care while the Practitioner’s
professional ability is impaired, whether through illness,
accident, addiction, abuse, or from any other source.
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K. Abusive or intimidating behavior.
L. Fighting or threatening violence in the work place.
Unacceptable
Behavior
Follow-up:
A. Reporting and Documentation:
All inappropriate
behavior should be reported, in writing, to the direct
supervisor and copied to the CEO. The documentation shall
include:
1.
The date and time of the questionable behavior.
2.
A statement of whether the behavior affected or
involved a patient in any way, and, if so, information
identifying the patient.
3.
The circumstances that precipitated the situation.
4.
A factual and objective description of the questionable
behavior.
5.
The consequences, if any, of the disruptive behavior, as
it relates to the patient care or clinic operations.
6.
A record of any action taken to remedy the situation,
including the date, time, action, and name(s) of those
intervening.
B. Follow up:
POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Medical/Dental Staff Conduct
1.
First offense: The direct manager/designee will follow
up with physician/dentist and documentation will be
sent per IIIa. (see above).
2.
Second offense: The direct manager/designee and CEO
will follow up and documentation as listed in IIIa. (see
above). Offender will receive a written warning.
3.
Third offense: Consequences may include suspension
for a designated period of time without pay or
termination for cause.
4.
Depending on the severity of the offense, the follow up
may be moved to a higher level. A single egregious
incident; such as physical or sexual harassment, assault,
a felony conviction, a fraudulent act, stealing, damaging
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clinic property, or inappropriate physical behavior, may
result in immediate termination.
Adopted: 6/07/07
Reviewed
Jenni Sevenich
Signature __________________________________________
Revised
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