The Code of Ethics is administered by the Ethics Committee, which is appointed by the Board of Governors upon nomination by the Chairman. It is composed of at least nine Fellows of ACHE, each of whom serves a three-year term on a staggered basis, with three members retiring each year. The Ethics Committee shall:
- Review and evaluate annually the Code of Ethics, and make any necessary recommendations for updating the Code.
- Review and recommend action to the Board of Governors on allegations brought forth regarding breaches of the Code of Ethics.
- Develop ethical policy statements to serve as guidelines of ethical conduct for healthcare executives and their professional relationships.
- Prepare an annual report of observations, accomplishments, and recommendations to the Board of Governors, and such other periodic reports as required.
The Ethics Committee invokes the Code of Ethics under authority of the ACHE Bylaws, Article II, Membership, Section 6, Resignation, Suspension and Expulsion of Affiliates; Reclassification and Former Affiliate Status, subsection (b), as follows:
Affiliates may be suspended or expelled by action of the Board of Governors as a result of violation of the Code of Ethics; nonconformity with the Bylaws or Regulations Governing Admission, Advancement, and Recertification; conviction of a felony; or conviction of a crime of moral turpitude or a crime relating to the healthcare management profession. No such suspension or expulsion shall be effected without affording a reasonable opportunity for the affiliate to consider the charges and to appear in his or her own defense before the Board of Governors or its designated hearing committee, as outlined in procedures adopted by the Board of Governors.