UNM Health Sciences Center Compliance

The UNM Health Sciences Center (HSC) Compliance Department is committed to keeping our patients, community and employees safe by promoting an organizational culture of integrity and ethical behavior; ensuring adherence with all applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations; operational guidelines, policies and procedures; the prevention of fraud, waste, and abuse within the healthcare organization; and maintaining compliance with agreements with state and federal government, vendors and business partners.   

The UNM HSC Compliance Department has created this website to provide a functional and informative experience for you.

Mission

The Mission of the UNM HSC Compliance Department is to ensure adherence to applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, internal guidelines, and policies and procedures that govern the delivery of health care and business operations by:

• Serving as a partner in managing and monitoring organizational compliance;
• Facilitating and improving communication and education designed to promote compliance awareness, correct deficiencies when identified, prevent fraud, waste and abuse, and establish best practices for preventing, detecting and responding to business conduct that is inconsistent with federal and state laws and with the organization’s values;
• Establishing credibility among peers and employees by quickly and effectively investigating and addressing compliance-related concerns;
• Performing routine compliance audits and risk assessments intended to improve internal processes and provider documentation;
• Fostering a culture of high ethical and moral standards that serve to promote and recognize employee integrity and ethical behavior.

UNM Health Sciences Center Compliance Program

The UNM Health Sciences Center has implemented an effective compliance program which includes the following seven elements. All of these elements are recommended by the Office of Inspector General as the minimum standard for our organization and mandatory for all hospitals.

1. Development and distribution of policies and procedures;
2. Designation of a Compliance Officer and Compliance Committees;
3. Development of a compliance education and training program;
4. Creation and maintenance of a compliance reporting system that is anonymous and free from retaliation (e.g., the UNM Compliance Hotline);
5. Ongoing monitoring and auditing of activities;
6. Development of processes to respond to allegations and provide consistent discipline, when necessary, for possible compliance violations; and
7. Investigation and remediation of identified systematic problems.

Asking Questions and Reporting Concerns

If you have concerns related to possible violation of laws and regulations, University policy or unethical behavior, we recommend you first talking to your direct supervisor followed by your department manager/director. UNM Health Sciences Center faculty and staff should feel comfortable in communicating their concerns. If you lack the ease of discussing your concerns with your direct supervisor or another member of management, please contact the Compliance Department for assistance.