The new policy, which is meant to reduce conflicts of interest, forbids all Partners’ employees, including employees with Harvard faculty appointments, from accepting speaker fees from industry companies. The policy also limits the pay senior officials from the health system can receive for serving on the boards of outside companies to no more than $5,000 per day of actual work, according to the report.
Partners also forbids its senior officials from accepting stock from such companies in return for service on boards.
Other academic medical centers have restricted physician pay for speaking engagements, but Partners is the first to restrict pay for serving on company boards, according to the report.
The restriction on board service is intended to provide equal restrictions on both junior and senior faculty members, according to the report.
The restriction comes following increased scrutiny on physician’s relationships with private industry from legislators including Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa).
Read the New York Times’ report on Partners HealthCare’s limits on industry fees.
