Have you ever called your Compliance Hotline?

caliotter3 · Jan 28, 2015

I realized that I had reason to, but feared for my job since it would have been obvious who was doing the talking, so I refrained. In-house compliance hotlines, in my opinion, are nothing more than window dressing or an early-warning system so that the legal department can encourage "appropriate" action.

passredskins1 · Jan 28, 2015

Yes I have called the compliance hot line in my facility......it's supposed to be private but the administrator found out some people who called and retaliated on them. Bad bad nursing home

mclennan, BSN, RN · Jan 28, 2015

I researched the P&Ps carefully and it states clearly that the Compliance hotline is totally anonymous, non-identifiable, non-traced, and run by a contracted 3rd party company. Should I still be wary?

caliotter3 · Jan 28, 2015

Of course you should still be wary. IMO, if it is important enough to report, go whole hog and report to the appropriate outside agency. But if you do this, be prepared for the consequences, because they are able to figure out who made the complaint, or they will punish anyone they believe could be behind it.

Kyrshamarks, BSN, RN · Jan 28, 2015

I have called mine twice, once using my name. got a reply that night. called in the morning. they took the problem seriously and fixed it immediately. the second time was anonymous, and they took it seriously as well. no backlash was ever noted. the number is run by a third party company.

Jules A, MSN · Jan 29, 2015

I have called mine twice, once using my name. got a reply that night. called in the morning. they took the problem seriously and fixed it immediately. the second time was anonymous, and they took it seriously as well. no backlash was ever noted. the number is run by a third party company.

That is encouraging to hear as I always figured there was definitely a catch to the inside lines. I haven't ever done it mostly because my big mouth is always right up there front and center so there isn't anything left to the imagination with regard to where I stand.

amoLucia · Jan 29, 2015

I have called mine twice, once using my name. got a reply that night. called in the morning. they took the problem seriously and fixed it immediately. the second time was anonymous, and they took it seriously as well. no backlash was ever noted. the number is run by a third party company.

You were very fortunate. I truly don't believe that there is anything such as 'anonymous'.

I'd bet that OP has brought up the problem with someone in her hierarchy, so for the same problem to resurface thru some Compliance line, I'm sure they could figure out who called.

I'm just a hardened cynic...

mclennan, BSN, RN · Jan 29, 2015

No, I haven't said a word, myself. But the managers have verbally acknowledged we are majorly out of compliance with a couple Medicare regs that are important to patient safety. It's generally accepted that we are "always" out of compliance with these regs - and I don't accept it. I don't feel comfortable working out of compliance for months on end. And certainly don't feel comfortable bringing it up face to face as an individual with bosses. I dunno. I just don't wanna land on anyone's BM list, but also feel unsafe working.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jan 29, 2015

Although my workplace (specialty hospital owned by a national corporation with 20,000+ employees) has a compliance hotline, I would never telephone it. In the past, persons who have called have had their identities unearthed and suffered from subtle retaliation thereafter.

I was also employed by a for-profit national corporation that operates a bunch of LTAC hospitals across the country (read: the big K). Coworkers who telephoned the compliance hotline were almost always figured out since their calls were recorded. Thereafter, the subtle retaliation and targeting would begin.

inshallamiami · Jan 29, 2015

Makes one so proud of our healthcare system.

Graduatenurse14 · Jan 29, 2015

Well-written anonymous letters to everyone and their grandma (possibly including the media) may do the trick. I've done letters signing my name and not signing my name both with results.

The one where I signed my name got better results but in the spirit of full disclosure it was a small Christian based ministry that really had excellent intentions but just in way over their heads and needed to see it in black and white. The board of directors even asked me to stay on as I told them that I was quitting in the letter but I knew that for things to really change, I had to move on as well. The Executive Director was fired (that made me sad but she wasn't a good fit at all) and many wonderful things have happened over the 10+ years since then.

The unsigned one was a big "non-profit hospital" that I couldn't really tell if it made the difference or some of these things were already in the works. I think the latter.

Interestingly, I'm thinking of writing another one to my current employer (another big "non-profit") and sending to everyone in the C-Suite, DON, Board of Directors, Medical Directors, etc. NOT media. It's not scandalous but it could become so if they don't open the purse strings a little more so RN's could do their real jobs and not waste time due to lack of technology and staffing of ancillary employees.