The ethics committee has received a request to review a donation proposed by a local oil company. The proposed donation is substantial, and your organization would be able to use the money to improve access to primary care providers, which meets a significant need in the community.
The Organizational Values for your organization are respect, Stewardship, excellence, person-centered care, and trust. A key strategic direction is responding to primary health needs in communities.
The oil company would like its name on a new primary care clinic and is willing to set up an endowment to support hiring health care providers to staff the clinic.
In this case, there are concerns about accountability, which center on the motivation behind the donation and what the oil company hopes to gain by making it. Some feel strongly that the organization’s Integrity is significantly diminished by accepting the money, and believe that it is too high a price to pay. Others acknowledge concerns about Transparency, but focus on how to communicate with the community about accepting the donation and aligning accepting the donation with the organization’s commitment to the health of the community. You decide to focus on the concerns about motivation or you decide to focus on communication.