As staff joins an organization they need to have as part of their required orientation, a zero-tolerance policy introduction and education about their rights and responsibilities. Every right usually has an attendant responsibility. The prevention part is making sure that managers and medical staff leaders are all aware and have a similar zero-tolerance policy.
It’s easy for healthcare leaders to believe that the presence of a sexual harassment policy and dedication of human resources office staff will prevent and mitigate any allegations, but policy isn’t enough. Hospitals and other healthcare organizations need an established, thoughtful procedure for the prevention, detection, and remediation of allegations.
In the last several years, hospitals across the country have experienced findings of Immediate Jeopardy in the wake of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and state Department of Health surveys that have become more and more rigorous. And, by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are leading many healthcare professionals to believe that such scrutiny will only continue to increase.
