My Ten Commandments Of Health Care Administration Ethics

1.    I will always conduct myself in a professional manner.

2.    I will honestly and faithfully carry out my assigned duties, and care for all patients who have been placed under my charge.

3.    I will immediately correct any discovered shortcomings in patient care.

4.   I will vigilantly be ever on the lookout for any wrong doing of any kind.

5.    I will not permit physical or mental abuse.

6.   I will not permit unsanitary conditions to exist.

7.    I will respect the basic human rights of all patients and employees. 

8.   I will guard against the loss of patients autonomy.

9.   I will assure that my facility is properly manned, properly equipped and that my employees have been properly trained.

10.  I will immediately report any fraud, waste or abuse to the appropriate authority, not matter what the cost and no matter what the situation.

Dane E. Gilkey

Explanations and justifications.

I have taken great care in writing these Ten Commandments of The Health Care Administrators and it is no coincidence that I have called it so.  The Ten Commandments handed down by Moses were supposed to be Gods rules of life and death.  Today we think of them as guidelines for staying out of trouble.  So too are these guidelines designed to keep the health care administrator on the proper path.  While writing these guidelines, I put myself in the place of a patient.  I considered if I am a patient, what would I expect from the medical industry.   In general when I am seeking treatment, the answer is quite simple.  I expect that the medical workers should conduct themselves as professionals.  I further expect to be treated fairly and be accorded the general respect that I am due as a human being and as an American tax payer.

1.       HCAs should conduct themselves as professionals.  That means looking and acting the part.

2.      Since they are professionals and are being paid, it is expected that they can be trusted to do their jobs.

3.      This point also has to do with being a professional.  It is expected that you should set yourself to a higher standard.

4.      As an HCA you are put in a position of public trust.  We the patients trust that you are spending our money wisely and that you are square dealing.

5.      This point just goes to common morality.  Your patients are in a compromised position and should not be taken advantage of.

6.      This is another simple make sense point.  Any medical facility is presumed to have a high level of sanitary cleanliness.

7.      This point is self-explanatory.

8.      Protecting a patients basic right to be informed and play a part in the decision making process in regard to their care.

9.      If you don’t have the right tools and equipment it will limit your effectiveness.

10.  This last point strikes right at the heart of ethics and morality.  If you cannot keep these commandments you should not be an HCA.

Dane E. Gilkey