Monday, March 13, 2023

Recognition honors companies demonstrating
business integrity through best-in-class ethics, compliance, and governance practices

CLEVELAND – University Hospitals has been recognized by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, as one of the 2023 World’s Most Ethical Companies.
 
This is the 11^th year UH has received this recognition and is one of only seven honorees in the health care providers’ category.  In 2023, 135 honorees were recognized spanning 19 countries and 46 industries.
 
“University Hospitals provides compassionate care to more than a million patients a year—one  patient at time,” explained Cliff A. Megerian, MD, FACS, University Hospitals Chief Executive Officer; Jane and Henry Meyer Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair. “We are guided in this work by our core values of Service Excellence, Integrity, Compassion, Belonging, and Trust.   We are so proud to be named as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the eleventh time.  This recognition is a testament to our caregivers who embody our values and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to our Mission: To Heal. To Teach. To Discover.”
 
UH highlighted several programs to Ethisphere in order to demonstrate its commitment to integrity and social responsibility. At its core, UH promotes a culture based on values and ethics. That culture is supported by a robust compliance and ethics program committed to continuous improvement.  One of UH’s signature programming events is Compliance and Ethics Week where the system hosts events designed to reinforce its commitment to integrity and ethical practices. UH saw a 30 percent increase in attendance over the previous year, leveraging both virtual and in-person events.
 
Furthermore, the health system expanded its Compliance Champions, a liaison program promoting compliant and ethical culture by broadening frontline resources to champion such messaging and programming. UH also implemented micro-trainings, a series of short trainings on a range of topics to support informed employees empowered to follow policies and do the right thing year round.  Currently, over 150 Compliance Champions participate in the program. 
 
UH also promotes its Speak Up Culture, in which caregivers across the health system are encouraged to speak up if they see something that strikes them as wrong, without fear of retaliation.
 
“University Hospitals is honored to receive this Ethisphere recognition,” said LaVonne E. Pulliam, JD, Chief Compliance Officer for University Hospitals. “This award is a reflection of a system-wide commitment to uphold our ethical standards and put our values into daily practice for the benefit of our patients and the community-at-large.  We are committed to be the most trusted health care provider for all people in our community.” 
 
“Ethics matters. Organizations that commit to business integrity through robust programs and practices not only elevate standards and expectations for all, but also have better long-term performance,” said Ethisphere CEO, Erica Salmon Byrne. “We continue to be inspired by the World’s Most Ethical Companies honorees and their dedication to making real impact for their stakeholders and displaying exemplary values-based leadership. Congratulations to University Hospitals for earning a place in the World’s Most Ethical Companies community.”

 
Methodology & Scoring
Grounded in Ethisphere’s proprietary Ethics Quotient®, the World’s Most Ethical Companies assessment process includes more than 200 questions on culture, environmental and social practices, ethics and compliance activities, governance, diversity, and initiatives that support a strong value chain. The process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify the leading practices of organizations across industries and around the globe.
 
Honorees 
To view the full list of this year’s honorees, please visit the World’s Most Ethical Companies website, at https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees.