Professional ethics and practice

This article offers a perspective of health services administration ethics from the point of view of the professional society and includes an historical overview. The principle of due process in the grievance procedure is critical in the process of complaints against a member. The legal basis for codes of ethics and enforcement are the guidelines for professional society involvement. Prior approval of behavior and a policy of no withdrawal of complains enforces integrity in the procedure. Construction of a code of ethics that can be universally applied presents real challenges. "Cookbook" codes create more problems than they counsel and necessitate the avoidance of proscription lists. The development of the American College of Healthcare Executives' Code of Ethics and its revisions, refinements, and enforcement are also included.