Compliance Helpline
Every member of the faculty and staff at the Kansas
City and Wichita campus of the KU Medical Center plays a vital role
in upholding our commitment to an ethical and legal community. The
Office of Compliance Helpline is designed to support the highest
standards of conduct.
913-588-5757
What is the Compliance Helpline?
The Compliance Helpline provides a way to report suspected non-compliance in
a manner that facilitates resolution and assures non-retaliation. The Helpline
is part of KUMC's Compliance Program.
When should I call?
Under normal circumstances, compliance issues should first be discussed with
your supervisor or study personnel. Many compliance questions can be resolved
informally within the department. However, if you suspect that your supervisor
may be involved, if earlier reports have not been pursued, or if you are
uncomfortable with reporting in person, you are encouraged to call the
Helpline.
Who can call?
The Helpline is available to any person in the KUMC research community, or
other interested parties who know about or suspect illegal, unethical or
questionable activity.
What should be reported?
Activities that violate federal or state regulations governing Equal Opportunity,
HIPAA, Human and Animal Research or Safety should be promptly reported.
These may include ethical violations or suspicions of criminal conduct.
Non-compliance covers a broad spectrum of issues. For example:
- Falsification of research data
- Violation of human subjects protections
- Safety violations in research laboratories
- Misuse of trainees
- Disregard for animal welfare regulations
- Infringement of patents or intellectual property
- Financial conflicts of interest
- Fraudulent research billings
- Retaliation against whistleblowers
- Harassment or discrimination of State employees
or students
- Violation of patient privacy
Will my call be confidential?
Every report will be acted upon in a confidential manner, with notification
to other appropriate individuals on a need-to-know basis. You may
make your report anonymously if you choose, and your anonymity will be
protected to the extent possible by law.
What if I don't have all the facts?
If you suspect a violation of guidelines and regulations, you should call even
if you are not sure. The Office of Compliance will take the information
you provide, attempt to verify it, and take appropriate actions.
What happens to my report?
Your call will come directly to the Office of Compliance, which conducts a
preliminary inquiry to determine if the report has merit. In order to protect
everyone involved, no disciplinary or legal action will be taken based
solely on a Helpline call. If the preliminary inquiry reveals possible
non-compliance, an investigation will determine appropriate action. Any
corrections, disciplinary action, or sanctions will be weighed according
to the severity of the concern. Factors taken into consideration include
deliberate intention, frequency of violations, and potential impact on
research subjects, other researchers or research records, and public welfare.
Depending on the nature of the findings, the Associate Vice Chancellor
for Compliance may be required to report the non-compliance to federal
and/or state authorities.
What about retaliation?
Both Federal guidelines and university policy forbid retaliation toward a person
bringing a good-faith allegation of non-compliance. Any retaliatory conduct
against persons acting in good faith will be subject to disciplinary action.
However, employees who intentionally and maliciously make false accusations
will be disciplined in accordance with university policy.
Are there other ways to make a report?
You may also write to:
Office of Compliance
University of Kansas Medical Center
Mail Stop 2014
3901 Rainbow Blvd.
Kansas City, Kansas 66160
©
The University of Kansas Medical Center