Ethical and Legal System Essay

For many years healthcare industries all over the world are known for operating under various legal regime systems, which often threaten hospitals, health plans as well as physicians with very severe and stiff sanctions for any violations they perform on the standards that are set for the healthcare industries. In this case, legal systems in the healthcare industries have managed to eliminate waste in uncontrollable healthcare industry systems. The legal systems have also managed to maintain the high standards offered in many healthcare industries today and not allowing them to ever go down as well as impending the reliance that healthcare, industries may make on private contracts which they do so in order to escape the tyranny caused as a result of inefficient standards (Feldman, 2000). Health providers on the other hand possess broad powers collectively or individually under industry connections that are mostly supported by the legal systems in the healthcare industry. These powers held by health care providers assist them to declare without cost constraints the types of services that patients should receive at the expense of the society. Under the legal system in the healthcare industry, certain situations especially those that involve the well being and physical health in relation to the quality of life-saving diagnosis as well as their availability are the most common compelling subjects that majority of juries and judges usually face. In the American economic activity, the annual representation of healthcare is approximately $ 2 trillion. The expenses cover innovations under diagnosis in surgery, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. There is also heavy government involvement in the health care industry. Moreover, a number of difficult issues that include expenditure, individual rights and equity often result in the attraction of attention from the public and frequent debates and this is mainly because this industry constitutes such a rapidly part of the American economy (Feldman, 2000). This paper will focus on Premier Inc. an organization in the healthcare industry, discussing its ethical and legal systems as well as the strengths and weaknesses of these systems available at Premier Inc. Premier Inc. is one of the strategic healthcare alliance organizations in United States today. It is owned by at least 200 leading healthcare systems and hospitals in America and its operations are mainly affiliated with almost 1,500 hospitals as well as other healthcare sites. In addition, Premier Inc. rovides resources that assist in the delivery of healthcare services in areas such as comparative data, insurance, group purchasing, benchmarking as well as supply chain improvement. Its main goal is to improve the communities’ health and brings forth nationwide knowledge with the aim of improving local healthcare (Voien, 2000). This is done through gathering financial and clinical data from its organizing committees as well as over hospitals that are its members in order to assist in decisions for sponsoring seminars, conferences and alliance with the main purpose of sharing the available practices that are good and effective. As a result, Premier Inc. is able to bring together any chaotic, inefficient and fragmented health care system hence enabling the provision of high-quality services in healthcare industry at the least costs. Facts are also applied by Premier in order to bring about best products and practices which result in patient outcomes that are of high quality. The organization shows its commitment in improving its operational and clinical performance by offering assistance to its members and providing performance informatics, supply chain service, insurance programs, resources that relate to performance improvement as well as group purchasing programs. The organization’s headquarters is located in San Diego with its offices in Washington, D. C. Chicago and Charlotte Premier Inc. is also dedicated to fulfilling three of its six indicators and one of the best indicators in its sample is the Code of Conduct in the company, which is thorough as well as easy to follow (Voien, 2000). Among the issues that the code highlights include the guidelines in the conflict of interest in the company, through this code, employees are often shown on how to contact the manager of the Ethics Compliance. In addition, people who call the manager are confident since, their phone numbers are not displayed as the organization has a potential phone violations code. The organization is also committed in providing the best workplaces in United States and this is mostly done by the company’s efforts in creating an organizational culture which aims at rewarding employees, behavior that is value-based, training which is essential in assisting employees to attain their maximum full potential, rewarding assignments as well as feedback. Employees at Premier are also treated with respect and this is mostly done by respecting their privacy, respecting the employees’ confidentiality records and also aiming to aid the aspirations of their employees especially those that are related to their work. (Voien, 2000). Employees at Premier are also urgently informed on any issues that affect them and listening to their concerns and ideas that they recommend. The organization also shows its commitment in promoting and protecting the safety and health of all of its employees and it forbids any use of illegal drugs by its employees. A dismissal is issued to anyone found possessing, using or even selling illegal drugs anywhere within the company’s property. Premier Inc. of the United States has several responsibilities that it aims to provide to its employees as well as patients in America. The organization aims to effectively make use of the available resources of the organization in order to support all of its members. In cases whereby there is emergence of conflicts in the organization, Premier has its responsibility focused on the avoidance of any conflicts of interest. The organization also aims at conducting its business with a lot of integrity, seeking guidance in situations whereby the organization is unsure of how to go about an impending problem and lastly the organization also has the responsibility of reporting any business practices that are unacceptable in the organization. For instance, premier has been aiming to implement the organization’s new code of conduct of Group purchasing since early 2002 (Voien, 2000). In addition, Premier organization has a number of ethical standards that help in its everyday operations. Among its ethical standards include the integrity of the enterprise and all individuals at Premier. Another ethical standard refers to the creation of real value that concerns the stakeholders as well as heading the place and a bias for any action and performance passion and also innovations at Premier. This means that the company aims at seeking a number of breakthrough opportunities, initiating any change which is meaningful as well as taking risks. Lastly, focusing people through respecting and showing concerns for all its employees, establishment of relationships with the entire community by building collaboration and this also applies to Premier’s business associates, workers and customers is also an ethical standard at Premier (Voien, 2000). In its ethics policy, Premier urges all its employees to exercise faith that is good in nature while undertaking all their responsibilities including various duties. They should also administer all of the company’s affairs economically and honestly as well as carrying out best care, judgment and skill so as to benefit the company. In addition, Premier Company forbids any activities that employees may be carrying out with the aim of gaining their personal advantage either in the way that they use their positions in the organization or also the knowledge that they gain while still at the organization and this also applies to financial gains. The organization also urges all its employees to carry out their duties as well as acts and these should adhere to the best interest of the company. In order to ensure that the company is committed in establishing best business practices that are ethical, Premier has set out to communicate to stakeholders and also providing important information which is useful to them especially in understanding the organization’s commitment in providing high standards of conduct. Moreover, Premier assists all of its employees by giving them additional guidance that will help them in decision making which is ethical. In 2002, Premier instituted an Ethics And compliance program whose main objective was to demonstrate the company’s strong commitment in providing high standards as relate conduct in the organization and this is mainly done in order to preserve the reputation that the company holds as well as enhancing the quality of the service delivery in the health care system that is offered to the community (Feldman, 2000). This program is a product of all the employees in the company who often work in order to put into practice the company’s principles. There other are other units at Premier that work hard to ensure that the high standards that relate to the company’s conduct are well infused in many business activities that take place at Premier. They include Human resources, Advocacy, Legal, Corporate communications as well as ethics and compliance units among others. The central support for the program is provided by the ethics and compliance office that often with employees, suppliers, owner members as well as the senior management at Premier in order to ensure that premier’s business practices are able to constantly meet all those standards that are set in the existing Group Purchasing Code of conduct at Premier as well as the Guidelines of the Business Conduct hence establishing the company’s commitment to the ethical conducts that are set. Lastly, the Board of Directors at Premier in 2006 altered the code relating to the company’s Group Purchasing Conduct which aimed at clarifying the provisions in the conflicts of interests in a better way especially in regarding established relationship among vendors and businesses. The legal system at premier is mainly seen at the premiers Legal Department which monitors and ensures that everyone at the premier acts according to the stated established federal laws (Feldman, 2000). These systems at Premier have had quite a number of positive implications to the organization. One advantage is that it has been able to establish integrity and trust among the employees because of the organization’s commitments to its employees and as a result it has out –performed many organizations in the healthcare industry in the United States as well as establishing a good reputation for the company. The legal systems have had a positive a positive impact on employees especially in relation to the codes of ethics o0f the organization. Doctors, Physicians and Nurses have maintained high standards in the way that they offer services to patients by offering quality and best practices as a result of the improved delivery systems in the healthcare services. Another advantage is that members have been able to get the right products and at the right prices hence enhancing the outcomes of patients who utilize the resources available at Premier. However, these systems also pose a major weakness to those who are directly or indirectly linked into it. The main weakness is that the policies lead to the creation of a monopoly whereby it is the organization that decides on the price and value that it can offer to its consumers and this directly affects the other organizations under the health care industry that are kept out of competition. It is therefore essential that the organization strives to openly communicate with all stakeholders, as well as meeting all requests that are reasonable so as to gather the required information. In conclusion, it is also essential to remember that an organization’s ethical conduct is as a result of collective conducts as relates its officers, board of directors and employees as well as enhancing open communications with these groups. As a result, this leads to a transformation in the healthcare delivery system of an organization.