Code of Conduct

This Code of Conduct establishes guidelines for professional conduct by those acting on behalf of the Medical University of South Carolina, its agents or affiliates (including but not limited to the Medical University Hospital Authority, MUSC Physicians, Carolina Family Care, the MUSC Foundation, and the Foundation for Research and Development hereafter, collectively referred to as "MUSC"), including executive officers, faculty, staff, and other individuals employed by MUSC using MUSC resources or facilities, and volunteers and representatives acting as agents of MUSC (hereafter collectively referred to as “employees”). This Code of Conduct is not an attempt to define everything one should and should not do, but to communicate MUSC’s expectations of proper conduct and what professional conduct MUSC values.

MUSC has the expectation of each employee to conduct all activities in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and with the utmost ethical integrity. While the information that follows in this section is not all inclusive, it is indicative of important activities involving MUSC employees in their daily business and workplace operations.

Those acting on behalf of MUSC have a general duty to conduct themselves in a manner that will maintain and strengthen the public’s trust and confidence in the integrity of MUSC and take no actions incompatible with their obligations to MUSC. Employees shall adhere to the applicable laws, rules, regulations and policies of governmental and institutional authorities. The failure to do so will be grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Employees are responsible for reporting any activity reasonably believed in violation of a law, rule, regulation and/or policy. This can be done through the employee’s chain of command, the Compliance Office, the Office of Internal Audit, or via the Confidential Hotline (toll-free, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week). MUSC will neither discriminate nor retaliate against any employee who reports in good faith any instance of conduct that does not comply or appear to comply with laws, rules, regulations and/or policies.

Ethical Standards

South Carolina Code (S.C. Code § 8-13-10 et seq.) (the "Ethics Law") makes it unlawful for public officials, public members, and public employees to use their position to obtain an economic interest or to have a financial interest in most any contract or purchase connected with MUSC/MUHA, unless certain exceptions apply. No provision of this policy supersedes the Ethics Law. The South Carolina Ethics Law can be found in its entirety on the South Carolina Legislature's website.

Some general ethical standards that apply to MUSC employees are:

  • No employee shall accept or solicit any gift, favor, or service that might reasonably appear to influence the employee in the discharge of duties.
  • No employee shall disclose confidential information or use such information for his or her personal benefit.
  • No employee shall make personal investments that could reasonably be expected to create a conflict between the employee’s private interest and the public interest.
  • No employee shall accept other outside or dual employment or compensation that could reasonably be expected to impair the employee’s independence of judgment in the performance of the employee’s public duties.
  • Sexual misconduct and sexual harassment are unacceptable behaviors. This includes verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
  • No employee shall misrepresent themselves or the institution in any way. This includes, but is not limited to, clinical or research documentation, submission of claims for reimbursement, submission of timesheets, and advertising of services.