Part 1

1. The healthcare system and particularly hospitals have always been faced with ethics issues requiring difficult decisions. With the advent of new technology, more issues have come to the forefront and expanded the need to have ethics committees in place.  Visit www.ethics.org. Identify the major functions of ethics committees in healthcare organizations. Who should be on the ethics committee? What is the role of an ethicist? Explain the relevance of the IRB on ethics policies. 

Answers must be at least 200 words 

2.       Providing quality care is not just good ethics, it is good business. However, quality in healthcare cannot be assumed. It requires that an organization comply with both the mandates and the intent of regulatory organizations. Visit one of the following websites: www.jointcommission.org, www.aha.org, and www.ncqa.org. Identify the organization’s goals and key functions. What efforts are being made to assure good ethics and quality care? What are some of the challenges facing this regulatory organization?

Answers must be at least 200 words 

Part 2

1. The healthcare industry, its workers, and the people whom it serves need leaders who can rebuild trust, restore efficient processes and ensure quality through rough organizational transitions and trends. This is the purpose of the Leadership Imperative. In your opinion, what are the most prevalent obstacle facing leaders today? Why? Describe the imperative actions needed to address this obstacle in healthcare organizations.

Answers must be at least 200 words

2.       The concept of leadership is probably one of the most discussed and ultimately the most misunderstood topics. Despite all the publications, seminars, speeches and casual banter on the subject, no one is able to articulate a comprehensive, absolute definition of leadership.  What is your personal definition of leadership? Do you view leadership as an act, a process or a skill? Explain. In your opinion, what are the major values for successful leadership? 

3.       Answers must be at least 200 words

APA style for all citations and references.