UPMC Code of Conduct for a Strong, Healthy Pittsburgh

 As Pittsburgh’s dominant health system and largest employer, UPMC is a key community asset that plays a vital role in our region’s economy.  The people of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County share a common stake in UPMC’s growth and success.
With success comes a serious set of responsibilities to the members of our community – healthcare consumers, taxpayers, and employees.  As our region’s  largest tax-exempt charity, UPMC must put the strength and health of our community first.
Over the last decade we have watched while UPMC executives have built a regional and even global corporate empire, marked by excessive executive compensation; closing down hospitals in underserved neighborhoods and opening them in affluent suburbs and foreign countries; attempting to deny access to millions of patients who are Highmark subscribers; failing to pay their fair share to support vital public services like schools, transit, and public health infrastructure; and harassing employees who are exercising their right to form a union to advocate for quality, middle class jobs for our community.
We call upon UPMC to begin living up to its responsibilities as our community’s largest tax-exempt charity by embracing the following Code of Conduct for a Strong, Healthy Pittsburgh.

•  Guaranteeing equal access to our community’s healthcare institutions.  UPMC will ensure affordable access to all of its healthcare facilities and services and will not discriminate based on insurance status.

•  Paying its fair share to support public services.  UPMC will contribute its fair share to support vital public services such as our schools, our transit system, and our public health infrastructure.

• Respecting employees’ rights and supporting good, safe, middle class jobs for our community.  UPMC will ensure family sustaining wages and benefits for all employees.  UPMC will respect caregivers’ freedom to form a union for a voice at work, cease and desist from interfering with employees’ exercise of their rights, and refrain from spending healthcare resources on anti-union consultants and campaigning.

• Promoting our community’s health.  UPMC will work with local officials, advocacy organizations, and the other healthcare providers to improve our community’s health status by promoting quality primary and preventive healthcare across our region and seeking to eliminate health disparities.