Integrated Ethics Programs In The Healthcare Industry

Abstract

The healthcare industry of the United States is undergoing extensive change to meet the needs of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. Organizations need to comply with a new macro-regulatory environment and establish institutionally based strategies that meet mandated standards and processes. The Act represents a shift from employer-sponsored insurance plans to a system where, depending upon subjective evaluations of what is on offer, consumers can shop around and purchase insurance plans listed in a federal or state marketplace. This means that healthcare providers are under intense political and public scrutiny. The new competitive environment may accelerate the shift from care-focused to efficiency-focused management initiatives within the healthcare industry and is viewed by some as an opportunity for contextual ambidexterity and conflict to emerge. In addition to establishing compliance programs to manage employees’ ethical conduct in an effort to meet the narrow and deterministic demands of governmental pressure, organizations may also introduce ethical programs that reflect organizational commitment, individual integrity, and the willingness to admit mistakes and be creative in problem-solving exercises.