In her role as the medical school’s chief compliance officer, Lori Straube says she –with the help of other leaders – is constantly in search of ways to keep compliance top of mind at WMed.
It is a task that is accomplished through efforts by the WMed Compliance Committee, along with regular communications to the medical school community regarding policy updates and annual computer-based learning modules on compliance.
Most recently, in June, the medical school engaged with Lighthouse Services, Inc. as an independent third-party to provide all WMed employees and students with access to an anonymous ethics andĚýcomplianceĚýhotlineĚýfor reporting possible violations. Straube, who also serves as associate dean for Administration and Finance, said the third-party service ensures that any employee or student wishing to submit a report can do so anonymously and without fear of retribution.Ěý
The hotline can be used to report any compliance concern, including Human Resources issues or potential HIPAA violations, fraud and abuse, or research concerns, among other things, Straube said.
“With any complaint or concern, it will allow for an exchange of information more freely while still maintaining anonymity,” she said. “It also allows for follow-up and acknowledgement that a complaint was received and whether action was taken. It’s really important to close that feedback loop.”Ěý
When the new hotline was announced in June, Dr. Hal B. Jenson, the medical school’s founding dean, said the initiative is part of WMed’s journey to excellence. He said the hotline supports the medical school’s Values in Action, specifically speaking up to inform.
Straube said efforts to launch the new compliance hotline began in March. She said the previous compliance hotline at WMed was rarely used. Since its launch in June, the new hotline has been used one time, she said.
“Our people at WMed are dedicated and compliance is really, really important so that makes it imperative that we have a place for internal and external stakeholders to report research concerns,” Straube said.
Lighthouse Services provides a toll-free number along with several other reporting methods, all of which are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for use by employees and students. To contact Lighthouse Services, go to or call 1.833.222.1416.
In June, the same month that the new compliance hotline launched, the medical school's Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) received full accreditation from the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP).
The news means that WMed has joined more than 600 organizations worldwide that have received accreditation by following AAHRPP’s requirements – widely regarded as the gold standard for research protections. To earn accreditation, WMed demonstrated its commitment to build extensive safeguards into every level of their research operation and adhere to the highest standards for research with human participants.
Straube said full accreditation from AAHRPP is another example that speaks to “how well we’re running our programs at WMed.”
“Every accreditation that we have applied for, we have been successful at obtaining right on schedule,” she said. “I think WMed is on the right track for all of those things.”
With that in mind, Straube said compliance efforts at WMed will remain a top priority.Ěý
Ongoing efforts include policy enforcement and annual audits. WMed relies on outside entities to ensure compliance in areas such as billing and coding. Other entities within the medical school, such as the Institutional Review Board (IRB) are subject to regular compliance reviews by bodies such as the Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Straube said the Compliance Committee meets quarterly to review the medical school’s multiple annual plans and policies surrounding such things as research compliance, IT security, billing and coding for the WMed Clinics, Title IX compliance, the Family Đ²ĘÍřal Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Clery Act and HIPAA, among many others.
Straube said the committee also is responsible for updating the medical school’s Legal Compliance Program Policy Manual every two years.
Additionally, Jered Cornelison, PhD, the medical school’s Research Integrity Officer and assistant professor in the Department of Pathology, is continuing his work and leadership to prevent any potential conflicts of interest (COI) when it comes to faculty, staff, residents, and students who want to conduct research.
Employees complete annual conflict of interest disclosures in the iMedRIS system, as well as computer-based learning modules about conflict of interest, and students attend two to three sessions about conflict of interest during their first two years of medical school, including a panel discussion with faculty and representatives from the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.
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