Frequently Asked Questions

About EthicsPoint

EthicsPoint is a comprehensive and confidential reporting tool created by NAVEX that enables Mary’s Center management and its employees, partners, and participants to work together to address fraud, waste, and abuse, and other misconduct in the clinics or offices while cultivating a positive work environment or participant experience.

• Our employees, partners, and participants are our most important asset. By creating open channels of communication, we promote a positive work environment, maximize productivity, and enhance participant satisfaction initiatives.
• The Office of Inspector General has stated that effective compliance programs maintain an anonymous, confidential method for reporting compliance violations.
• Combined with our other compliance efforts, an effective reporting system helps us foster a culture of integrity and ethical decision-making.

Reporting – General

Yes. EthicsPoint enables you to file a confidential, anonymous report via either the telephone or the internet.

The EthicsPoint system allows employees, partners, and participants to report any unethical or discriminatory conduct, violation of our Code of Conduct, or other concern you may have.

When you observe some behavior that you believe is wrong, we expect you to report it. Ideally, you should bring any concerns forward to a supervisor or other member of our management team. We recognize, however, that there may be circumstances when you are not comfortable reporting the issue in this manner. Using EthicsPoint ensures that your report will be routed to the appropriate people and that your report can be made anonymously..

We all have the right to work and receive services in a positive environment. With that right comes the responsibility of acting in an ethical manner and letting the right people know if someone is not acting appropriately. By working together, we can maintain a healthy and productive environment. Our Code of Conduct also obligates employees to report concerns and noncompliance.

We certainly do. In fact, we need you to report. You know what is going on in our organization - both good and bad. You may have initial knowledge of an activity that may be cause for concern. Your reporting can minimize the potential negative impact on Mary’s Center and our people. Employees are also required to report whenever unusual events or conduct occur in our clinics or offices that do not comply with our mission, values, or Code of Conduct. Lastly, offering positive input may help identify issues that can improve corporate culture and performance, employee engagement, and participant satisfaction initiatives.

Reports are entered directly on the EthicsPoint secure server. Reports are made available only to specific individuals within Mary’s Center who are charged with evaluating the report, based on the type of violation and location of the incident. Each of these report recipients has had training in keeping these reports in the utmost confidence. The EVP of Compliance tracks all related investigations.

No. EthicsPoint is a positive aspect of our overall compliance program that allows us to ensure a safe, secure, and ethical workplace and clinic. You are encouraged to seek guidance on ethical dilemmas, provide positive suggestions, or communicate concerns. Effective communication is critical, and this is a great tool to enhance that communication.

We have carefully chosen the best reporting tool to meet our compliance obligations while maintaining a positive reporting environment.

Reporting Security & Confidentiality

NAVEX does not generate or maintain any internal connection logs with IP addresses, so no information linking your computer to EthicsPoint is available.

If employees feel uncomfortable making a report on their work PC, employees have the option of using a computer outside Mary’s Center work environment (such as one located at an internet café or at a friend’s house) through the EthicsPoint secure website.

A report from home, a neighbor’s computer, or any internet portal will remain secure and anonymous. An internet portal never identifies a visitor by screen name and the EthicsPoint system strips away internet addresses so that anonymity is totally maintained.

The EthicsPoint system protects your anonymity. However, if you wish to remain anonymous, you - as a reporting party - need to ensure that the body of the report does not reveal your identity by accident. For example, “From my office next to Jan Smith…” or “In my 33 years…”.

Yes. You will be asked to provide the same information that you would provide in an internet-based report and an interviewer will type your responses into the EthicsPoint website. These reports have the same security and confidentiality measures applied to them during delivery. Your voice is never relayed to Mary’s Center, and Mary’s Center will not have access to any recorded calls.

We encourage you to identify yourself and provide a section in the report for you to identify yourself, but only if you wish. By identifying yourself, we are sometimes able to reach out to you more quickly and conduct a more thorough investigation. If you do not want to be identified, we understand and ask that you provide as much detail as possible for us to thoroughly review the report.

Tips & Best Practices

Mary’s Center promotes ethical behavior. All unethical and noncompliant conduct, at any level, ultimately hurts the organization and all employees, partners, and participants, including you. If you know of any incidents of misconduct or ethical violations, it is your duty to report it.

Report it. We'd rather you report a situation that turns out to be harmless than let possible unethical or noncompliant behavior go unchecked.

The EthicsPoint system and report distribution ensure that implicated parties are not notified or granted access to reports in which they have been named.

When you file a report at the EthicsPoint Web site or through the EthicsPoint Call Center, you receive a unique, randomized number called a “Report Key” and are asked to choose a password. You can return to the EthicsPoint system again either by internet or telephone and access the original report to add more detail or answer questions posed by a member of the Compliance Team. We strongly suggest that you return to the site often to answer questions and get follow-up information.

All EthicsPoint correspondences are held in the same strict confidence as the initial report.

To ensure that security and confidentiality is maintained, if you lose your report key or password, you will need to file a new report. Mention in the new report that it is related to a report or question you previously submitted. No one at NAVEX or Mary’s Center can reset your password or report key.

You can file an EthicsPoint report from any computer that can access the internet. You can file from home. Also, many public locations, including the public library, have computers with internet access. If you don’t have access to or are uncomfortable using a computer, you can call the SPEAK-UP & Report Line, which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.