Why do we have a Hotline?
What should I report to the Compliance Hotline?
How do I contact the Compliance Hotline?
Do I have to give my name or somehow identify myself?
If I do remain anonymous, is there any way representatives from The Network, WFUBMC’s independent, third-party provider, can identify me without my permission or awareness?
I’m still concerned someone (e.g., supervisor) will somehow find out that I contacted the Hotline. I don’t want to put myself or my job in jeopardy. What is my protection against retaliation?
I am aware of some individuals involved in inappropriate activity, but it doesn’t affect me, at least not directly. In fact, they don’t even work in my department. Why should I bother reporting it? What’s in it for me?
What if I only suspect something is wrong or I don’t have all the facts?
What actually happens when I call the Compliance Hotline?
What if I remember something important about the incident after I filed the report? Or what if the Compliance Office has further questions for me concerning my report?
Are all calls to the Hotline accepted?
Why do we have a Hotline?
WFUBMC is committed to conducting business in accordance with the highest ethical and legal standards. Ideally, you should report violations of these standards through pre-existing channels such as your immediate supervisor or Human Resources. However, we recognize there may be reasons for which you choose not to do so. In those instances, the Compliance Hotline is available for you to anonymously report actual or suspected violations.
What should I report to the Compliance Hotline?
Call the Compliance Hotline (toll free 877-880-7888) or visit www.tnwinc.com/reportline/international to report actual or suspected violations related to:
- Your Code of Conduct, Standards of Excellence (WFUHS) or Values in Action (NCBH)
- Environmental laws
- Research misconduct
- Healthcare billing
- Submitting false claims
- IRS regulations
- Harassment or discrimination
- Theft, bribes, or kickbacks
- Misuse of funds or property
- False or misleading financial or accounting practices, records, or documents
- Health or safety laws
- Use of drugs or alcohol on the job
- Fraudulent transactions
- Conflicts of interest
- Patient privacy violations
- Disclosure of confidential information of any kind
- Improper use of intellectual information
- Copyright laws or software piracy
- Potential criminal activity
- Patient Rights
- All other potential or actual violations of law, policy, or ethical standard
NOTE: The Compliance Hotline is NOT a 911 OR EMERGENCY SERVICE. Do not contact the Compliance Hotline to report events presenting an immediate threat to life or property. Reports submitted through this service may not receive an immediate response. If you require emergency assistance, please dial 6-911.
How do I contact the Compliance Hotline?
You may contact the Compliance Hotline toll free at 877-880-7888 or online at www.tnwinc.com/reportline/international. Both methods of reporting actual or suspected violations are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, can be accessed from any location, and are available in numerous languages. To ensure your anonymity, this service is administered by an independent company, The Network.
Do I have to give my name or somehow identify myself?
Absolutely not. While providing your name and contact information will assist the Compliance Office in their investigation, you are never required to provide your identity. Whether you contact the Compliance Hotline by calling the toll free number or access the web report online, you will always have the right to remain anonymous.
If I do remain anonymous, is there any way representatives from The Network, WFUBMC’s independent, third-party provider, can identify me without my permission or awareness?
No. The Network is contractually committed not to pursue caller identities. Telephone interviewers do not have access to caller ID capability. All online reports are secure; no identifying information such as IP address is maintained.
I’m still concerned someone (e.g., supervisor) will somehow find out that I contacted the hotline. I don’t want to put myself or my job in jeopardy. What is my protection against retaliation?
All individuals providing information regarding possible illegal activities in the workplace and good-faith reports of possible compliance concerns are protected from retaliation or retribution by state and federal law and by WFUHS/NCBH policy. If you believe you have been retaliated against for reporting a compliance concern or question, you should immediately notify the WFUHS Compliance Department at 716-5262 or the NCBH Compliance Department at 716-9089.
I am aware of some individuals involved in inappropriate activity, but it doesn’t affect me, at least not directly. In fact, they don’t even work in my department. Why should I bother reporting it? What’s in it for me?
We all have the right to work in a positive and professional environment and with that right, comes the responsibility of acting in an ethical manner and letting the appropriate people know if someone is not acting accordingly. As an academic medical center, we also have a responsibility to the public to ensure we operate in accordance with all legal requirements. If you know of any incidents of misconduct or ethical violations, consider it your duty to report it.
What if I only suspect something is wrong or I don’t have all the facts?
Call (877-880-7888) or submit a web report (www.tnwinc.com/reportline/international) even if you are not sure there is an actual problem. Once The Network’s representative receives your report, it will be forwarded to the Compliance Office, an investigation will be conducted, and appropriate action will be taken.
What actually happens when I call the Compliance Hotline?
The following steps take place:
1. You are greeted by a friendly and specially trained interviewer. You will first be asked for your location information, including your department name/number and the institution you work for (NCBH or WFUHS, subsidiary, or contractor). You will next be asked if you want to give your name and contact information or if you want to remain anonymous. Then, you can describe the suspected compliance issue in as much detail as possible.
2. At the conclusion of the call, the interviewer will assign a report number to you to be used for future reference, should you need to call back and add anything to your original report. If you choose to remain anonymous, you will be given a call back date, usually 2 weeks later, for follow-up purposes.
3. The information is then forwarded to the appropriate Compliance Department (i.e., WFUHS or NCBH) to take appropriate action.
4. Using the report number and scheduled call back time given to you by the interviewer, you can contact the Compliance Hotline to follow-up on your original call. If you provide your name during the initial call, you can contact the Compliance Office directly with any further information, or you can call the Hotline again. A representative may then ask you additional questions or request additional information, if necessary.
What if I remember something important about the incident after I filed the report? Or what if the Compliance Office has further questions for me concerning my report?
At the end of your telephone report or after a web report is submitted, all employees who choose to remain anonymous will be given a report number to reference in subsequent calls and are asked to call back on a certain date, usually in two weeks. If the Compliance Office has further questions for the caller, they will be asked by a representative at The Network at the time the employee calls back. If the employee chooses to provide their name and contact information, no call back date will be given since the Compliance Office can contact the employee directly should they have any questions. If the employee gives their name and has additional information to add to their report, they can do so by contacting the appropriate Compliance Office directly or by submitting a new hotline report.
Are all calls to the Hotline accepted?
Although the Hotline was established to report suspected compliance violations, any type of call or complaint that is made will be reported to the appropriate Compliance Office. The Compliance Program, however, is not intended for handling employee grievances, such as complaints concerning performance evaluations, hours of work, wages, or merit wages. These issues are best resolved through Human Resources.
IF you have an additional question about the Compliance Hotline that is not answered here, please email your question(s) to Mary Truell at mailto:mtruell@wfubmc.edu.