Approved by the Board of Governors Dec. 5, 2022.
Statement of the Issue
The healthcare executive’s responsibility for professionalism begins with a strong sense of service to others and a commitment to improving health. Professionalism includes the ability to align personal and organizational conduct with professional and ethical standards that include a responsibility to the patient and community, a service orientation, and a commitment to lifelong learning and improvement.1
Healthcare executives are responsible for demonstrating the profession’s guiding principles both personally and within their organizations. This includes embodying the characteristics of honor, integrity and ethics, and developing and practicing a program of self-improvement and lifelong learning. Healthcare leaders must develop and promote a culture of professionalism within their organizations by creating an environment in which all workers can do their best, and by partnering with other organizations, state and local government, and the communities they serve to improve the health of the community.
Policy Position
The American College of Healthcare Executives believes that all healthcare executives must exhibit and promote professionalism in managing themselves, leading others, and contributing to and developing professional practices and standards in their organizations. The principles that apply to all healthcare executives include leading with integrity; committing to quality of care and patient safety; motivating themselves and others to do the right thing; collaborating with others both in and outside their organization; building a culture of trust; and engaging in internal and external activities to improve the health of the community.
Healthcare executives can promote professionalism in their organizations and communities through the following actions:
- Committing to quality of care, patient safety and continuous improvement toward the highest possible reliability.
- Taking responsibility for patients and families, employees and the organization.
- Building a culture of trust, respect and collaboration within their own organizations as well as other organizations.
- Actively engaging in collaborative activities with public health and other governmental agencies, healthcare systems and organizations, schools, and other community leaders to advance the health of the community.1
- Giving back to the community through participation and development.
- Ensuring a culture of equity and inclusivity that seeks to prevent discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age and disability, and actively striving to increase diversity within the healthcare leadership ranks, especially in regard to race and ethnic background, as appropriate for the community and population being served.
Healthcare executives can personally demonstrate their commitment to professionalism by demonstrating:
- Honesty, integrity and trust
- Empathy, compassion and respect for all others.
- A commitment to excellence, self-improvement and lifelong learning.
- A willingness to give back to the profession by contributing to the professional body of knowledge, and by mentoring and coaching others.
- An understanding of and following the ACHE Code of Ethics, and an understanding of other professional codes of conduct, such as for the clinical and allied health professions.
ACHE urges all healthcare executives to affirm their personal responsibility to professionalism for themselves, their organizations and the communities they serve. To further strengthen its position on professionalism, ACHE requires all members to agree to abide by the ACHE Code of Ethics and to demonstrate an understanding of and a commitment to professionalism to advance to Fellow status within ACHE.
Notes:
1ACHE Policy Statement: “Healthcare Executives’ Responsibility to Their Communities.”
Policy created: November 2017
Last revised: December 2022
FAQs
Healthcare executives have an obligation to act in ways that will merit the trust, confidence, and respect of healthcare professionals and the general public. Therefore, healthcare executives should lead lives that embody an exemplary system of values and ethics.
What are the healthcare executive's responsibilities to the profession of healthcare leadership? ›
In general, healthcare executives or administrators are responsible for directing and coordinating health services. Executives work closely with healthcare staff and business leaders to improve the delivery of healthcare for an organization.
What is a healthcare professional's responsibility? ›
• Demonstrate respect, compassion, and integrity; a responsiveness to the needs of patients and society that supersedes self-interest; accountability to patients, society, and the profession; and a commitment to excellence and on-going professional development.
What will be your professional obligations and responsibilities as a health services executive? ›
Although health care executives' day-to-day responsibilities vary widely based on their position, they all bear responsibility for managing and coordinating resources for care; formulating policies and directives; and communicating with other executive staff regarding the effects of various policies, procedures and ...
What are the standards of professionalism in healthcare administration? ›
Healthcare executives can personally demonstrate their commitment to professionalism by demonstrating: Honesty, integrity and trust. Empathy, compassion and respect for all others. A commitment to excellence, self-improvement and lifelong learning.
What are the most important aspects of professional responsibility a healthcare worker has toward their colleagues? ›
Be respectful. Respect is an essential value for health care workers to embody in their interactions with patients, colleagues, and the wider community. Respect involves treating others with dignity, empathy, and understanding, regardless of their background or circ*mstances.
What makes a healthcare administrator professional? ›
Required Skills and Qualities
Strong communication skills are also a must for any healthcare administrator. While these professionals rarely meet directly with patients or their families, they must still maintain strong interpersonal and written communication skills.
What is professionalism in health care? ›
The core components of this framework of professionalism include altruism, dependability, responsibility, quest for excellence, appreciation of duty, agency, honesty, rectitude and integrity, collegiality, respect for others, continuous learning and improvement, and humility.
What is the care professional responsibility? ›
Duty of care is a legal responsibility to provide care to a reasonable standard and keep patients safe. All staff should expect to work within organisations which enable individuals to deliver safe and appropriate care in accordance with regulatory and professional standards.
What are some ethical responsibilities of healthcare professionals? ›
Nurses are advocates for patients and must find a balance while delivering patient care. There are four main principles of ethics: autonomy, beneficence, justice, and non-maleficence. Each patient has the right to make their own decisions based on their own beliefs and values.[4]. This is known as autonomy.
What Does a Health Care Leader Do?
- ensuring their facility or organization complies with current laws and regulations;
- implementing best practices so patients receive quality care;
- managing information systems;
- strategizing new initiatives to meet objectives;
- maintaining accurate personnel and financial records;
The primary responsibility of fiduciaries is to run the plan solely in the interest of participants and beneficiaries and for the exclusive purpose of providing benefits and paying plan expenses. Fiduciaries must act prudently and must diversify the plan's investments in order to minimize the risk of large losses.
What are the four professional responsibilities? ›
Honesty - being trustworthy, loyal, sincere, and fair. Integrity - consistency between actions, values, expectations, and outcomes. Transparency - operating where others can see what actions are performed. Accountability - taking responsibility for actions and their outcomes wherever due.
What is professionalism appearance in healthcare? ›
The Value of Professionalism & Unified Aesthetic
Having a team who dresses in professional, clean clothing designed for a medical setting as a standard prevents issues stemming from inappropriate or outright harmful attire. Professional attire may also help a medical professional feel suited to their role.
How does a lack of professionalism impact healthcare? ›
Unprofessional behaviour threatens patient safety by negatively impacting interprofessional communication, psychological safety and the clinical learning environment [2, 3], which can lead to adverse events, errors and even increased patient mortality [4–6].
What does it mean to be a healthcare professional? ›
Definition of health professionals
Health professionals study, diagnose, treat and prevent human illness, injury and other physical and mental impairments in accordance with the needs of the populations they serve.
What is the function of a healthcare organization's executive leadership team? ›
Healthcare executives: Make sure their organizations have strong strategic, operational and financial footing to serve the needs of patients, their families and their communities.
What is the fiduciary responsibility of healthcare executives and managers? ›
The primary responsibility of fiduciaries is to run the plan solely in the interest of participants and beneficiaries and for the exclusive purpose of providing benefits and paying plan expenses. Fiduciaries must act prudently and must diversify the plan's investments in order to minimize the risk of large losses.
What is the responsibility obligation of a health care executive according to the ache? ›
Healthcare executives have an obligation to act in ways that will merit the trust, confidence and respect of healthcare professionals, staff and the general public. Therefore, healthcare executives should lead lives that embody an exemplary system of values and ethics.
