Mission and Values Statements
The Mission and Values Statements assist SHCA members in determining ethically appropriate professional conduct. Ethics demand that healthcare patient and consumer advocates, who advocate in the name of our hospital’s patients, act with complete fidelity to the institution and respect the valid rights of others.
Mission
The mission of the Society of Healthcare Consumer Advocacy is to lead the advancement of healthcare consumer advocacy by supporting the role of professionals who represent and advocate for consumers across the healthcare continuum.
SHCA achieves its mission by:
- Providing its members with education, information, and networking opportunities.
- Serving as a resource for consumers, payers, the community, and other healthcare professions on issues such as:
- patient education
- patients' rights
- ethics
- patient satisfaction/measurement
- complaint management
- customer service
Vision
Empowering consumers to take charge of their healthcare and restoring consumer trust.
Values
We advocate for healthcare consumers in order to improve the healthcare experience of those we serve: patients, families, and other individuals. For these individuals, we believe:
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in respect for their right to control their healthcare decisions
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that their dignity shall never be compromised
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that caring and compassion are as important as technology
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that education and information are vital to informed healthcare decision-making
As members of the Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy, we believe:
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that values and ethics are the foundation of our professional practice
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in the value of collaboration with other healthcare professionals
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that taking action to create change in the healthcare system is our responsibility
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that education and information are critical to our professional development
Code of Ethics
The Members of the Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy of the American Hospital Association are committed to conducting their professional relationships in accordance with the following principles.Click here to download the Code of Ethics.
How does the Patient Advocate improve the patient and family hospital experience?
As a free resource, the SHCA Advocacy Committee created the “Patient Advocate Tip Card ”. SHCA invites you to download your free tip card and use it in your own facility.
The Tip Card can be used to highlight how the patient advocate can be a resource to a patient and their family while they are in the hospital. This is also a resource that can be used for other hospital staff.
Download the Tip Card today.