Even at an organization as high performing as ours, it’s important that we remember to uphold compliance and ethical standards in everything we do. That’s why the celebration of Compliance and Ethics Week is so important. All week long, compliance officers across the organization will be available to answer questions about the work they do to ensure that we meet federal and state regulatory requirements.
“This week is so important to help raise awareness and to help promote a culture of compliance within the organization,” said Devona Williams, Director of Controls and Compliance at Texas Children’s Health Plan. “I think we do extremely well. However, we do have room for improvement in educating team members about what Compliance does, the importance of it and the potential consequences for non-compliance.”
Tessy Carpenter, Interim Director of Compliance & Privacy, reminds the organization that compliance is everyone’s responsibility at Texas Children’s. “It forms the foundation for the ethical environment we want to create and maintain, and supports our workforce members’ daily efforts to act with integrity.”
Reminders about compliance
Compliance and Ethics team members ensure that we meet federal and regulatory requirements. This week they remind us that:
- We are all responsible for compliance.
- Compliance professionals are not the police. They are our partners in protecting the organization.
- Compliance does not make the rules. They ensure that the organization is compliant with applicable Federal and State regulatory requirements.
There are 7 elements to an effective Compliance program:
- Designation of a compliance officer and compliance committee
- Implementation of written policies, procedures and standards of conduct
- Internal monitoring and auditing
- Training and education
- Enforcement and publicized disciplinary guidelines
- Prompt response to offenses, with corrective action and reporting
- Effective lines of communication
Texas Children’s Compliance Leadership
A big thank you to the men and women who lead our One Amazing Team in this area. We celebrate you – and your teams – this week.
Lance Lightfoot
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
TCH Compliance and Privacy Officer
Melissa Murrah
TCHP Chief Risk Officer
Vice President, Risk, Audit, Compliance, Privacy & Organizational Resilience
Tessy Carpenter
TCH Interim Director, Compliance & Privacy Office
Devona J. Williams
TCHP Director, Controls and Compliance
For more information about the Compliance and Privacy Office visit this Connect site. View the Texas Children’s code of ethical behavior for additional ethics guidance.