HCA Among 100 World’s Most Ethical Companies

In Ancient Greece, the word "ethos," from which we derive the English word ethics, was used to mean a "character" in drama. As such, ethos appears as one of the fundamental elements of tragedy in Aristotle's Poetics, alongside others including plot and meaning (mythos and dianoia, respectively).

But even then, "ethos" held the modern double meaning that allows us to use "character" both in the dramatic sense and in that meant in Martin Luther King's exhortation solely to judge people "by the content of their character." It's in this latter sense that we often today use "ethos" to describe all the good qualities of a person that it is otherwise difficult to sum up in a single word.

What, then, does it mean to speak of a company's ethos? We could accordingly say that a company's ethos cannot simply be reduced and grasped as the catalogue of morally correct decisions made by the company's collective leadership and employees. Rather, a company's ethos is that intangible substance, an atmosphere that creates a healthy work environment and naturally ensures we make the right decisions consistently.

The ethos at HCA is a strong one, as attested by the company's recent inclusion in a list of the World's Most Ethical companies. The 100 companies on the list were selected by the Ethisphere Institute, an international research organization dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability.

"We appreciate the recognition from Ethisphere. Thousands of HCA employees work every day to help our patients, and they do it with diligence, compassion, and integrity," said HCA Chairman and CEO Richard M. Bracken. "These individuals have helped us to build an organizational culture that encourages high ethics. We are proud of all of them."

During the selection process, Ethisphere reviewed HCA's code of ethics and litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluated the company's investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looked at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studied commendations from senior executives and industry peers, suppliers and customers. (You can read more about the selection methodology on Ethisphere's Web site.)

Alex Brigham, Executive Director of the Ethisphere Institute, added, "The competition for the World’s Most Ethical Companies was the strongest it has ever been, with a record number of organizations vying for this distinguished honor," making this commendation even more special.

Kudos to the entire HCA family!

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