• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

Tip: A four-step planning process for rapid compliance program development

Healthcare Auditing Weekly, August 12, 2008

1. Focus on building a “top-down” structure for the compliance program. Begin at the board of director’s level and continue through the chief executive officer/president, chief compliance officer, and other executives and senior managers.
2. Develop a code of conduct. The code of conduct is the written embodiment of the compliance program and the most tangible evidence of its quality. It is the first major foundation for the compliance program and represents a guiding set of principles for the operation of the company.
3. Establish an employee compliance hotline. A hotline provides a reporting mechanism through which employees can report criminal conduct or any type of wrongdoing by others in the organization without fear of retribution. It is an essential element of a compliance program. The handling of calls through properly trained and managed hotline staffs can permit interventions that could otherwise result in litigation involving millions of dollars.
4. Communicate the compliance program to employees. It is important that the organization’s principles, as defined in the code of conduct, be understood as an essential element of the organization’s culture. It is equally important that the employees understand how the compliance program operates.

• Comment
• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive

Comments