Do the Right Thing: Our Standards of Conduct

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is committed to full compliance with all applicable laws, rules and guidelines.

To such end, our faculty, trainees, students, staff and other workforce members are required to conduct themselves in accordance with MD Anderson's Standards of Conduct and the ten principles of our Code of Conduct.

We make both our Standards of Conduct, also called "Do The Right Thing", and our Code of Conduct readily available to anyone, at any time, to clarify expectations for all who serve the institution.

Review Do the Right Thing: MD Anderson's Standards of Conduct (pdf).

Questions related to MD Anderson's Code of Conduct or Do the Right Thing: MD Anderson's Standards of Conduct (pdf) should be directed to Maggie Newell, Executive Director, Institutional Compliance Programs, by email at mnewell@mdanderson.org or by telephone at 713-745-6636.

MD Anderson's Code of Conduct: Ten Principles

Know and follow the rules
Know and follow the letter and the spirit of applicable laws, rules, and guidelines, as well as UT System and MD Anderson rules, policies, procedures, and compliance plans.

Think and act ethically
Follow our ethical standards and those of your professional organizations. Before you say or do something, ask yourself: How would this look to our patients and our community? Would this harm our reputation?

Keep it confidential
Handle all MD Anderson information, especially patient information, in ways that meet applicable laws, rules, guidelines, and document retention schedules. Treat our information the same way you treat yours.

Commit to research integrity
Perform all research efforts in ways consistent with applicable legal, ethical and professional requirements, as well as MD Anderson rules, policies and procedures.

Avoid gifts
In general, you can’t accept or give gifts, favors, benefits, services, or items of value — especially in return for preferential treatment or patient referrals.

Bill accurately
When you document and bill for the care you’ve provided, be accurate, be thorough, be honest — and be timely.

Focus on Making Cancer History
Don’t use any MD Anderson resources, including your time and your colleagues’ time, in a wasteful manner, for personal benefit, to harm someone, for political activity, or for illegal activity.

Be true to our mission: Avoid outside influences
Don’t engage in activities or enter into contracts that could or could seem to interfere with your MD Anderson work, make you disclose confidential MD Anderson information, or affect your independent judgment.

Be a good colleague
Act with honesty and good faith in all matters. Don’t engage in discriminatory, harassing, retaliatory, inappropriate, intimidating, or disruptive behaviors.

When in doubt, point it out
If you think or discover that someone isn’t following our Code of Conduct, promptly notify the Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer or Institutional Compliance. And always cooperate fully with all inquiries and investigations related to reported issues.

20230928  |  MAN