The rules governing the health-care industry can be complicated. For this reason, it is not always easy to make the right choices when it comes to compliance. If you have questions or concerns with any area of compliance, please ask for help (see below for the suggested approach). It is always better to ask before taking an action that might be improper.
As a member of UCLA Health System's work force, you have a personal responsibility to report any activity that appears to violate the Code of Conduct or any applicable laws or regulations. In general, if you are aware of a compliance violation and fail to report it, you may be subject to corrective or disciplinary action.
If you have a question or concern regarding the appropriateness of a decision or action, you should take the following steps:
You should immediately discuss the issue with your supervisor, manager, or team leader because these individuals should be the most familiar with the particular job requirements and business practices. The supervisor should provide a timely response or work to seek alternative solutions.
If you are not comfortable speaking with a direct supervisor or manager, you should contact a higher level manager in the department or within the Health System.
The Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer has been designated as the individual with lead responsibility for compliance issues. She reports directly to the Dean of the School of Medicine. At any point in the process, you can bring a question or concern to the Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer or staff within the Compliance and Privacy office. This would include situations where you believe that you have not received an appropriate, timely or ethical response from a supervisor.
You can contact University management within other departments or the Office of the President. There are a number of resources within the University that are available to help, including the Compliance Office, Ombuds Office, Human Resources, Auditing and Services, and Campus Counsel.
At any point, you can contact the Compliance Hotline to raise questions and clarify issues or to report suspected violations. Reports will be inverstigated or referred to appropriate personnel for resolution. If you contact the Compliance Hotline, you may choose to remain anonymous. The Compliance Hotline can be reached at (800) 403-4744.
If you are not confortable taking any of the above steps, contact the UCLA Compliance Office at (310) 794-6763.
The people working in this area are available to respond to any kind of question you might have. If they don't know the answer, they will try to find someone who does. Don't be shy about asking - we are all here to help each other.
