Designing compliance programs that foster ethical behavior

The federal government continues to expand its initiatives to uncover healthcare fraud, waste, and abuse. It is therefore more important than ever that healthcare organizations have an effective compliance program in place. The organization should have a compliance officer with adequate authority and staff to carry out the compliance program's functions. The program should include an ethics code, an internal hotline that employees can use to report compliance concerns, and education and training for all employees. In addition, the program should be audited periodically to ensure its viability. To be successful, a compliance program also needs the support of the healthcare organization's senior management.