Helpline...Hotline...Which
is it?...What is it?
You've seen the posters around campus and you've
heard the name. Some facilities call it a hotline, we call it a Helpline,
but what is it? Let’s take a closer look at our Helpline and how
it works. First let me start by saying that as an employee of the Medical
Authority, UMA and CFC you have signed a mandatory Compliance Agreement.
This agreement and our Code of Conduct requires you to report possible
violations. You do not have to be certain the violation has occurred in
order to report it.
So what is considered a violation?
Well, first of all, it doesn't have to be a violation. You may just
have a question. You may not be sure if you're doing something correctly
or you may just need advice on how to handle a situation. Either way, there
are resources available to help you.
Now, a violation is anything that goes against our Code of Conduct.
A good way to judge whether something is a potential violation is with
your gut feelings. Does the situation make you feel uneasy or uncomfortable?
Another way to judge is to say to yourself, “How would this look on the
front page of the Post and Courier?” If your answer is, “not good,” then
perhaps it's time to make a report.
Okay, so where am I supposed to make a report?
You have several options. The best is to go to your supervisor first.
If that makes you uncomfortable, then you can go directly to Human Resources
or to the director of compliance or compliance officer. There is also the
Compliance Helpline 1-800-296-0269.
What is a Compliance Helpline?
It's a toll-free, confidential answering service that's available to
take your call 24-hours a day. We contract this service to an outside
organization, so the calls will remain confidential. The Helpline service
will then route the information to the director of compliance or compliance
officer.
If I call the Compliance Helpline, do I have
to give them my name?
No, you can request to remain anonymous. The Helpline staff will give
you a contact number and a call back date. When you call back, there will
be a preliminary report available on the status of your concerns. You may
also be asked some questions, if you call back. If you wish to remain anonymous,
the investigators may need additional information from you, so they can
proceed with their investigation. Remaining anonymous is always a possibility,
but keep in mind that it may hamper an investigation if the full details
of the concern are not stated. The confidentiality of the call will be
upheld to the highest extent possible and remember we do have a non-retaliation
policy.
What does non-retaliation mean?
Non-retaliation means that you will not be punished for reporting a
violation. We want you to report problems and concerns, even if it
is your supervisor that’s committing the violation. We want you to feel
comfortable coming forward with questions or concerns.
So what happens when I call the Helpline?
First, your information will be taken down by the Helpline staff. It
will then be sent to the UMA director of compliance, MUSC compliance officer
or the MUSC academic compliance officer. They will then determine if it
is a compliance issue or if it needs to be routed to Human Resources. If
it is a compliance issue, an investigation will be conducted and action
taken if necessary. It is the Compliance Department's policy that action
be taken on all calls. If you make a call to the Helpline, you can be assured
that it will be reviewed and responded to.
So take note of the Helpline posters in your area, because if you have
a concern, we want to know.
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