PURPOSE

To ensure quality Medical Education= by promoting a safe, cooperative, professional health care environment and to prevent or eliminate, to the extent possible, conduct that:

· Disrupts the operation of the program or hospital;=

· Affects the ability of others to do their job;

· Creates a “hostile work environment” for medical student= s or members of the teaching or house staffs;

· Interferes with an individual’s ability to practice or learn competently; and/or

· Adversely affects or impacts the community’s confidence in the hospital’s ability to provide quality medical education.

PROFESSIONALISM

The Hospital’s educational mission is = promoted by professionalism in faculty/house staff/ student/staff relationships. Professionalism is fostered by an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. Actions of teaching staff or house staff members that harm this atmosphere undermine professionalism and hinder fulfillment of the Hospital’s educational mission. Students and house staff members should, at all times, address attending physicians by using their last name, only (e.g., Dr. Smith). Students/house = staff members and members of the teaching staff should limit their interactions, including social interactions, to that of a professional nature, only. Trust and respect are also diminished when those in positions of authority abuse = or appear to abuse their power. Those who abuse their power in such a context violate their duty to the hospital and teaching program.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.=

· Policy: Colu= mbia Hospital does not tolerate sexual harassment by and to house staff members and responds to ev= ery complaint, providing proper remediation when harassment is determined.*

· Definition= : Unwelcome sexual advances-requests for sexual favors a= nd other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature-constitute sexual harassment when:

1. Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment or education or training or<= span style=3D'font-size:10.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>

2. Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment or academic decisions affecting such individuals or

3. Such conduct has the effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or learning environment.

· Complaint Procedures: Individuals who believe that they have been sexually harassed should notify either their Program Director, or the Director of Medical Education. Because of the sensitive and discriminatory nature of the charges of sexual harassment, complaint procedures will include the following principles:

1. Efforts will be made to restrict information regarding complaints to the complainant, the accused party, and those persons directly involved in processing the matter.

2. The Director of Medical Education will advise and con= sult with either or both parties to the complaint.

3. If necessary, a formal investigation of the complaint will be conducted by = the Director of Medical Education or his designee.

4. Investigations will be conducted as promptly as possible, and results will = be reported to both parties involved.

5. If a complaint is found to be valid, action will be taken through appropria= te channels of program administration, hospital administration and medical sta= ff to rectify the situation and to reasonably ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future. Appeal will be open to either the complainant or the accused party.

6. The Human Resources Office will serve as a resource with regard to interpretation of sexual harassment guidelines.

*Equal Employment Opportunity Commission "Guidelines on Discrimination Becaus= e of Sex" (29CFR 1604.011) define sexual harassment= and consider it a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.<= /o:p>

CONSENSUAL RELATIONSHIP

Membe= rs of the teaching staff exercise power over house staff, students, and staff whether in providing praise or criticism, evaluations, recommendations for their further studies or future employment, or conferring other benefits. A= ll amorous or sexual relationships between members of the teaching staff and h= ouse staff members, students, or personnel staff are unacceptable when the teach= ing staff member has any professional responsibilities for the other. Such situations greatly increase the possibility that teaching staff members will abuse power and this abuse may lead to sexual exploitation. Voluntary conse= nt by the other in such a relationship is suspect, given the fundamental asymmetric nature of the relationship. Moreover, house staff, students, and= staff may be affected by such unprofessional behavior because it places the teach= ing staff member in a position to favor or advance one person's interest at the expense of others and implicitly makes obtaining benefits contingent on amo= rous or sexual favors. Therefore, the hospital will view such relationships as a violation of this policy if teaching staff members engage in amorous or sex= ual relations with house staff members, students, or staff for whom they have professional responsibility even when both parties have consented or appear= to have consented to the relationship. Should a teaching staff member find him/herself in a supervisory relationship with someone he/she has already h= ad a relationship with, he/she should notify the Director of Medical Education or Program Director immediately and ask for reassignment. Any concerned person= may initiate complaints about alleged violations of this policy. Such complaints should be brought to the attention of the Program Director, or Director of Medical Education or designee.

House staff members exercise power over other house staff, students, and staff whether in providing praise or criticism, evaluations, recommendations for their further studies or future employment, or conferring other benefits. A= ll amorous or sexual relationships among house staff members, between house st= aff and students, or house staff and personnel staff are unacceptable when the house staff member has any professional responsibilities for the other. Such situations greatly increase the possibility that house staff members will a= buse power and this abuse may lead to sexual exploitation. Voluntary consent by = the other in such a relationship is suspect, given the fundamental asymmetric nature of the relationship. Moreover, other house staff, students, and staff may be affected by such unprofessional behavior because it places the house staff member in a position to favor or advance one person's interest at the expense of others and implicitly makes obtaining benefits contingent on amo= rous or sexual favors. Therefore, the hospital will view such relationships as a violation of this policy if house staff members engage in amorous or sexual relations with other house staff members, students, or staff for whom they = have professional responsibility even when both parties have consented or appear= to have consented to the relationship. Should a house staff member find him/herself in a supervisory relationship with someone he/she has already h= ad a relationship with, he/she should notify his/her supervisor immediately and = ask for reassignment.

Any concerned person may initiate complaints about alleged violations of this policy. Such complaints should be brought to the attention of the Program Director, or Director of Medical Education or designee.

Sanctions appropriate to the offense will be applied by the Director of Med= ical Education or designee. Possible sanctions may include, but are not limited = to, removal of teaching privileges, reprimand, consideration in promotion decisions, termination of employment, and immediate dismissal.

House staff members disciplined or terminated on grounds of violation of this pol= icy shall have such rights as are provided in the Resident Manual.

ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR UNPROFESSIONAL OR ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR

· : Numerous studies have demonstrated that medical students and house staff often believe they are abused in the setti= ng of medical education. Because the relationship between faculty and students= or house staff is hierarchical, it remains the ethical responsibility of the faculty to assure that those students and house staff are professionally mentored and respectfully treated. A renewed interest in teaching professionalism to medical students and house staff has been demonstrated b= y a variety of organizations such as the AOA, ACGME, AAMC, and AMA. =

Columbia= Hospital believes that all patients, ancillary suppo= rt personnel, co-workers and students are entitled to equitable, respectful, a= nd professional interaction. Also that professionalism is best learned through= a mentoring process between the faculty and students.

· :

1) The program directors will address any perceived breaches of professional behavior with medical staff members, house staff, or their supervisors.

2) Continued violations of this policy shall be reported to the Director of Medical Education.

3) Criticism of performance will be discussed in private with = the student or resident/fellow.

&= nbsp; 4) Discussions about patien= t care with consulting medical staff among house staff or students will be carried= out in a civil tone and volume. Shouting, cursing, name-calling or personal att= acks have no place in such discussions. When physically present in the hospitals, professional conversation and interactions are critical to patient care and= to the functions of the hospitals.

IMPAIRED PRACITIONER

· Policy: It is the policy of this hospital a= nd teaching program to properly investigate and act upon concerns that a membe= r of the teaching our house staff is suffering from an impairment. The hospital will conduct its investigation and act in accordance with pertinent state and federal law, including, but not limited to, the Americans With Disabilities Act.

<= span style=3D'font-size:10.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-f= areast-font-family: Arial'>a. Procedure:= If the Director of Medical Education has a reasonable suspicion that a member of the Teaching or House Staff is impaired, physica= lly, mentally or due to drugs or alcohol, he shall takes steps to preserve the educational process and facilitate the safety of the impaired staff member.

Upon suspicion of drug or alcohol abuse, the DME, in con= sultation with the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer (or his/her designee) may order random drug testing of the practitioner. Refusal to submit to random testin= g will be grounds for immediate dismissal from the teaching program.

If the impairment of a member of the teaching staff plac= es the educational process is in jeopardy, the DME shall remove that practitio= ner from teaching staff. If the m= ember of the teaching staff is also a member of the medical staff, the DME may re= fer, in writing, to the Physician Support Committee for investigation and report= to be submitted to the Executive Committee. If the impairment of a member of t= he housestaff places the teaching pr= ogram, or patient safety in jeopardy, the DME shall suspend all patient care activities of that practitioner, and refer the practitioner to the Physician Support Committee for investigation and report to be submitted to the Medic= al Education Committee.