COMMUNICATIONS

RHD and its Affiliates’ e-mail, computer, Internet and voice mail systems are company property. These systems are in place to facilitate our abilities to do our jobs efficiently and productively. To that end, these systems are for business purposes and personal use must be kept to a minimum.

Employees should have no expectation of privacy while using these systems. All communications or files generated on these systems are the property of the company, and RHD and its Affiliates therefore retain the right to intercept, monitor, copy, review and download any communications or files employees create, access or maintain on these systems.

All email passwords are set by the Director of Communications and are not to be changed by anyone other than the Director of Communications or his designee. The Director will set the password and communicate that password through the appropriate channels to the use of the email account.
If the user feels their accounts have been breached, he/she should contact the Director of Communications. Users who change the passwords themselves are subject to disciplinary action up to termination.

TELEPHONES
Telephone lines are available for official business use or emergency situa-tions. Personal phone calls are discouraged except under specific/emer-gency situations. Excessive personal telephone usage (including abuse of long distance codes, toll free lines, etc.) or excessive use of personal pagers and cellular phones while on duty for personal use are not permitted and may result in disciplinary action up to and including discharge.

COMPANY CELLULAR PHONES
In certain circumstances, cell phones are provided to employees to conduct business. Company cellular telephones are for the express purpose of conducting necessary daily business functions from geographically diverse venues. Any and all acquired and stored contacts, telephone numbers and websites, etc. or other information developed in whole or in part by the employee in connection with employment shall be the exclusive property of Rural Healthcare Developers, Inc.

Appropriate care of cellular telephones is the responsibility of the employee.
No replacement or change in service will be made without the consent of the Director of Communications. The employee, to which the phone is assigned, will be responsible for replacement in the event of loss or malfunction due to carelessness.

USE OF PERSONAL CELL PHONES
Personal cell phones are not to be used while employees are on duty except in cases of emergency. Cell phone use includes talking, texting or emailing. Abuse of personal cell phone use will result in disciplinary action. Repeated abuse will result in action up to and including termination.

BULLETIN BOARDS
Official bulletin boards are for the posting of company-related materials only. It is the responsibility of both management and Human Resources to determine what materials are posted on official bulletin boards. Only those people designated by the organization may post material on or remove material from official bulletin boards. The unauthorized posting of material on official bulletin boards or the unauthorized removal of material from official bulletin boards is pro-hibited.

RECORDING DEVICES AND CAMERAS
Employees are not permitted to use cameras, camera phones, tape recorders, or other recording devices on duty or while on the premises conducting official business unless such use has been approved by management.

Accordingly, employees are prohibited from secretly recording, videotaping, or taking pictures of others. Such conduct is grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including immediate termination of employment.

INTERNET ACCESS
Internet access in the workplace is a privilege, not a right, and is provided to be of assistance in work-related objectives. The Internet should be used for legitimate business purposes. Computer communications must meet con-ventional standards of ethical and proper conduct, behavior, and manners and are not to be used to create, forward or display any offensive, disruptive, illegal, or harassing/discriminating messages, including photographs, graphics, and audio materials. Approval for Internet access must be requested from the department director and approved by the appropriate administrative staff member.

The use of email is encouraged, when appropriate, because it can make communication more efficient and effective. However, email is the property of the organization and is to be used for business. Every user has a responsibility to maintain and enhance the organization’s public image and to use email in a productive and professional manner.

The following outlines expectations relative to the use of RHD and Affiliates’ electronic systems:
Any information an employee receives or has accesses that relates to RHD and Affiliates concerning business, patients, vendors, finances, marketing plans, etc., or systems is strictly confidential and proprietary and may not be disclosed to anyone outside the organization without proper management authorization. Non-employees may not be given access to any of the systems without appropriate written approval.
Employees may not access any other person’s voice mail, email, files, or other systems without proper authorization.
Only authorized employees may purchase hardware or software or load it onto any systems, and no software may be copied from any systems.
RHD and Affiliates may not be used for solicitations for personal ventures, commercial ventures, religious or political issues, outside organizations, or for the distribution of chain letters or copyrighted or otherwise protected information.
Systems may not be used to create, transmit, receive, or access any information or files that may potentially be offensive, disruptive, illegal, threatening, or harassing/discriminating or that may potentially contain sexual implications, racial slurs, gender specific comments or any other comments that would violate the harassment/discrimination policy.

SOCIAL NETWORKING
Social networking includes personal blogs, personal websites, bulletin boards web media, including but not limited to LinkedIn, Facebook, My Space or any other interactive “blogs.”

Though employees are free to post their own personal views on blogs, employees should know that blogging related in any way to RHD and its Affiliates, its business, or your employment at the company may lead to harm to the company or its employees. Blogging may violate the rights of another employee by posting untrue, defamatory or hurtful information about him/her. If employees choose to blog, the following guidelines apply anytime an employee blogs as a self-identified employee or posts information relating to their employment with the company, regardless of the site to which the employee posts or the location from where the employee makes the post.
The company will not defend employees in any legal action based on their commentary on any blog under any circumstances, whether the employee is sued by another company employee, guest, customer, vendor, client or someone who is not affiliated with RHD and its Affiliates.
Employees should exercise caution with regard to exaggeration, colorful language, guesswork, obscenity, copyrighted materials, legal conclusions and derogatory remarks or characterizations in any way related to the company. Such remarks may subject employees to discipline up to and including termination.
The company or its employees may pursue legal action against you personally.

REFERENCES AND EMPLOYEE INFORMATION
Requests for information from employee files received from outside sources, including requests for references on former employees, must be directed to Human Resources. It is the policy of Rural Healthcare Developers and Affiliates to only verify the job title, salary, and dates of employment for references.

Supervisors and other employees are prohibited from providing personal or employment references on former or current employees. Any such unauthorized release of the Organization’s information is grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. All such requests should be forwarded to Human Resources for handling.

If an employee would like the Organization to verify information requested by outside sources for credit or other purposes, a written release setting forth the precise information to be released with the employee’s signature, must accompany the request.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION POLICY
Rural Healthcare Developers and Affiliates are committed to protecting and safeguarding confidential information about current and former patients, current and former employees, medical staff, other credentialed practitioners, and the Organization as a whole. This applies to confidential information, whether written, verbal, computerized/electronic, photographic/videotaped, and/or facsimile. Confidential information may be obtained through the course of patient care, business, and employment. All such information is the property of the Organization.

It is policy to release or allow access to legally protected or confidential information only through appropriate authorization, established protocol, and/or legal process. In accordance with signed confidentiality statements, access to confidential information is limited to those who obtain and use such information to carry out job responsibilities. Access to or release of confidential information regarding current and former patients, current and former employees, or other Organizational records for personal reasons is strictly prohibited.

It is against privacy regulations for employees to disclose or compare their own salaries with those of any fellow employees.

Improper access to or disclosure of confidential information will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination, as well as any applicable government or civil penalties.

MEDIA
Requests for information or inquiries from the media should be directed to the CEO and the Rural Healthcare Developers Corporate Office. Employees should not respond to patient care or business inquiries from the media.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
It is never acceptable to publish any of the company’s confidential or proprietary information, or any confidential or proprietary information of any patient to which an employee has access as a result of being employed by RHD and its Affiliates. Disclosure will subject you to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.