As BWH is a charitable, non-profit organization, it has certain legal and ethical responsibilities, which it must meet. BWH is committed to ensuring that its trustees, officers, executives, professional staff members, and employees comply with the letter and spirit of all applicable laws and regulations, avoid conflicts of interest, and conduct hospital business with the highest degree of integrity and honesty.
Some actions in hospitals, which once may have been considered simple mistakes and overlooked, are now considered to be health care fraud by regulators. The penalties for these types of behaviors are serious. As a result of these constant changes in the health care system and increased expectations of health care organizations, many hospitals, including BWH, have developed Compliance Programs—formal programs to help identify illegal and unethical activities.
The Compliance Program at BWH is intended to foster self-examination by the hospital to ensure that it is in compliance with federal and state laws, regulations, standards of practice, and its own internal policies. The program consists of standards and procedures to ensure compliance and sets forth mechanisms to monitor compliance by members of the Partners HealthCare System and BWH community.
When situations that are not covered by the BWH Code of Conduct arise, and the best course of action is not clear, and/or if a violation of the Code is detected, the situation should be reported to one’s supervisor. If reporting to an immediate supervisor is not successful or appropriate, one may also report a suspected violation to the BWH Compliance Helpline.
The Compliance Helpline is a confidential internal reporting system and informational resource. When attempts to correct problems through usual channels prove difficult, ineffective or inappropriate, employees and managers can report issues in confidence to the Helpline. Every report will be investigated and addressed.
If you have any questions contact:
(617) 732-8907for General Compliance concerns
(617) 732-9379 for Professional Billing Compliance concerns
(Please note the new Billing Compliance telephone number)
Other questions should be directed to the Compliance Office at ext. 2-6442