In order to truly be judged by his/her peers, a physician in an outlying area like Redding should be periodically visited by others to evaluate outcomes.

It is clear that Tenet's top management failed its ethical responsibilities in two ways: (1) they failed to reinforce the ethical guidelines central to any hospital or medical management group, and (2) they failed to monitor the performance of their institutions to insure that they were ethically compliant.

How Individual's Professional Conduct is Guided or Not Guided by the Code of Ethics.

Individuals in the medical profession take an oath to conduct themselves in an ethical manner. Nurses have a 9-point oath, which is fairly far-reaching. Physicians' oaths are shorter, but no less binding. Since each profession (this includes firemen, lawyers and accountants, not just healthcare professionals) has an important 'self-policing' element, the primary enforcer of ethical conduct is the professional his/herself.

As we...
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