Understanding the Purpose of Hospital Conduct and Wellness Committee

By Alexis Eckel, quality improvement specialist, Miami Valley Hospital

The Conduct and Wellness Committee’s mission is to ensure a commitment to high standards of patient care and to promote a professional practice work environment. The American Medical Association Code of Medical Ethics states "the importance of respect among all health professionals as a means of ensuring good patient care is foundational to ethics." Our hospital-based committee is committed to the health and well-being of all Miami Valley Hospital employees.

The quality improvement specialist role helps facilitate communication between the committee members and hospital staff. Conduct and wellness cases are sent to the quality department through confidential incident reporting. After reviewing the case, the quality team obtains protected witness statements from all individuals involved. The case is then referred to the department chair, who interviews the provider who was involved in the case. This ensures a thorough review is being performed and all information is obtained. Once this has been completed, the conduct and wellness committee chair reviews the case, and then the committee reviews the case to have a final discussion regarding the case based on evidence.  

Prior to the meeting, the provider involved will receive a letter in their Premier Health email inbox detailing the incident. This will afford the practitioner the opportunity to provide the committee with their recollection and impression of the case. The provider must respond within 21 days. The provider will then be notified of the determination and provided a summary of the review with feedback on education and improvement.

Ultimately, the goal of the committee is to help provide a safe and collaborative learning environment for all Premier Health employees to assist in providing our patients with excellent care.

Back to the May 2024 issue of Premier Pulse