“Maintaining Proper Boundaries”

Jointly sponsored by The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and Santé Center for Healing.

In a society of changing values and greater awareness of boundary violations, patients, hospital corporations and Medical Boards no longer accept inappropriate behaviors by physicians or other healthcare providers. Santé Center for Healing and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas are jointly sponsoring a continuing medical education course, Maintaining Proper Boundaries, to assist physicians and others with boundary related issues.

The course creates a unique learning environment utilizing didactic presentations, interactive discussions, and experiential exercises. In addition to learning about boundary issues and ethical standard infractions, the course also outlines methods to identify high risk patients and staff for safeguarding the office or treatment setting, as well as ways to obtain help if one has crossed boundaries and how to be safe in so called “gray” areas.

At the completion of the course participants will be able to:

• Identify the types of unethical behaviors and boundary violations that result in litigation, difficulty with the medical boards and/or hospital corporations, or action by other licensure boards.
• Discern behaviors and situations where the healthcare professional is most vulnerable to inappropriate involvement with patients and/or staff members.
• Recognize and develop strategies to avoid high risk situations, medical or psychiatric disorders, and ethical dilemmas that leave the professional vulnerable to crossing boundaries.
• Recognize high risk patients and identify how to avoid problematic situations with them.
• Identify methods to safeguard the office and treatment settings.
• Discuss the ethical and legal obligations for reporting and/or intervening on boundary violations of a colleague.
• Learn how to view and utilize Physician’s Health Programs as an advocate.

A total of 21 CME, AMA-PRA Category I credits (including 3 ethics credits) are available for the Maintaining Proper Boundaries course at a cost of $1,800. A $900 deposit is required to reserve a space. The balance is to be paid prior to the first day of the course. A cancellation fee will apply.

Course dates for 2008 include:

• February 6-8, 2008
• May 14-16, 2008
• August 13-15, 2008
• November 5-7, 2008

For additional details about this course or for information about Santé Center for Healing, contact Course Administrator, Kristy Hannum: 800.258.4250 / 940.464.7222 ext 267 or via email, kristy@santecenter.com.