Dear WashU Medicine community,
We all play a role in building a safe, inclusive environment at WashU Medicine, and part of that responsibility is to understand how to report unprofessional or inappropriate behaviors.
Earlier this year, the Climate & Culture Implementation Task Force provided information about our single “front door” for reporting unprofessional or inappropriate behaviors through the Supporting a Fair Environment (SAFE) program’s online portal. Through collaboration with HR and the SAFE program, we now can also share flowcharts for students, trainees and staff that illustrate the streamlined process for reporting and what happens after a report is made. The flowcharts are available on the SAFE website.
We want to ensure that everyone in our community knows they can use the SAFE system to report a concern, whether the incident occurred at WashU Medicine or one of our academic hospitals. (Please note, patient safety issues and PHI should not be entered into the SAFE reporting portal. Patient safety issues at WashU Medicine should be reported here.)
You may continue to report via other methods, such as the 24/7, multi-language telephone option or directly to the appropriate offices, such as Gender Equity and Title IX or the Office of Human Resources, if you prefer.
Importantly, while reports of unprofessional or inappropriate behaviors can be made anonymously, individuals who are designated as mandated reporters will not meet their reporting obligations if they choose to report anonymously.
After a report is received through SAFE, the reporter receives a notice within 24 hours that it has been received. All reports of mistreatment are then reviewed by Human Resources (HR) to determine whether the report is learner mistreatment and would be appropriately addressed by the SAFE process or if the behavior reported would be more likely to fall under other University policies/processes, such as Title IX. At that point in time, the appropriate area of the University is then engaged. Depending on the complexity of the situation, and the nature of what has been reported, the time that it takes to gather additional information will vary. To help expedite the process, it is critical that reporters provide as much information as possible in their initial reports. If you made an anonymous report, you can log back into the SAFE portal to get an update or ask questions. If you identified yourself, you can expect to receive communication directly from HR, SAFE or representatives of other University offices as appropriate.
The SAFE portal is not just a resource for reporting concerns — it also provides the opportunity to share a positive experience involving a learner, staff or faculty member. If you see a colleague whose actions you admire, we encourage you to recognize them through the Accolade link. Alternatively, you can recognize faculty and staff members through the WashU Kudos system.
We appreciate your support as we continue to work together at WashU Medicine to benefit our entire community, and we are grateful for the feedback and partnership that made this simplified process possible.
You can see all of the Task Force recommendations to improve our climate and culture and track our progress to implement those recommendations on the Climate & Culture website.
Sincerely,
Michael Avidan, MBBCh, Implementation Task Force co-chair
Dr. Seymour and Rose T. Brown Professor and head of the Department of Anesthesiology
Linda Richards, AO, FAA, FAHMS, PhD, Implementation Task Force co-chair
Edison Professor of Neurobiology and head of the Department of Neuroscience
Renée Shellhaas, MD, MS, Implementation Task Force administrative director
David T. Blasingame Professor of Neurology and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Promotions & Career Development