ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

“A mission of rebuilding lives through the gift of donation.”

The American Tissue Services Foundation governing board and employees understand the delicate nature of this precious gift we help facilitate. We are committed to the highest ethical standards in all of our efforts to support tissue donation, providing support to donor families and our donation partners.

Our ethical principles are the values that establish the rules by which we operate as employees and volunteers in pursuit of our mission; that mission being to support tissue donor families in meeting their donation wishes and helping patients by assisting in making innovative tissue products available to the medical community.

Our Ethical Principles are:

COMPASSION. We will maintain an awareness of the needs of our donor families and others involved in the donation decision, and act to meet those needs through our words and deeds. We will act in ways that are consistent with our mission to support those intimately involved in the donation process.

RESPECT FOR OTHERS. We will be open and direct in our communication, and receptive to others’ ideas and concerns. We will value the contributions of others, embracing the accountability for our actions in this regard. We shall show the utmost respect for the deceased as we fulfill our obligations to donor families and patients.

HONESTY. We will not make statements that are false. We will never deliberately mislead. We will openly and freely share information, as appropriate to the relationship and within the confines of confidentiality. We will honor or renegotiate all commitments and set the example by fulfilling all obligations.

CONFIDENTIALITY. We will maintain appropriate information within the strictest confidence, protecting the anonymity of donors and donor families, and securing our contractual arrangements with our business partners.

FAIRNESS. We will create and follow a process and achieve outcomes that a reasonable person would call just, evenhanded and non-arbitrary.

QUALITY. We will create and follow quality processes that ensure the quality of our support for donor families and patients. Our staff will be competent and continuously trained.

INTEGRITY. We will live up to the ATSF ethical principles, even when confronted by personal, professional and social risks, as well as economic pressures.