Healthcare Risk Management – September 1, 2014
September 1, 2014
View Issues
-
Who is covering for you on off hours? Process can break down without a plan
Off-hour call coverage for the risk manager should be carefully planned. For some concerns, the risk manager should take calls at any hour. -
Educate staff for late-night risks
Risk managers cant be on site all the time, especially when there are only one or two staff members in the department, but you can create deputy risk managers by training those employees who work the graveyard shift, weekends, and holidays. -
Checklists offer help on off hours
Checklists are a good resource for helping staff assess situations that might or might not need intervention from a risk management professional, says R. Stephen Trosty, JD, MHA, ARM, CPHRM, president of Risk Management Consulting in Haslett, MI, and a past president of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) in Chicago. -
Hone skills for working with C-suite execs
Communicating with top executives can be different than talking with others in your organization. Preparation can help you make the most of the interaction. -
Use your ‘elevator speech’ for quick communication
One trick for being ready to discuss risk management with a C-suite executive is to have an elevator speech ready at all times, says Andrew A. Oppenberg, MPH, CPHRM, DFASHRM, director of risk management and patient safety officer at Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center in Glendale, CA. -
Tips for your trip to the C-suite
Consider these tips before making your high-stakes trip to talk to the CEO or other top executives. -
Poor prep leads to bad meeting with the execs
Many people are nervous about meeting with the CEO or other top-level executives, but preparation will make you more confident and improve your chances of being viewed favorably, says Greg Bustin, a leadership and strategic planning consultant in Dallas. -
Rushing to new tech can threaten patient safety
Adopting new technology too quickly can threaten patient safety. Researchers are suggesting a revamp of the system for approving the use of new technology. -
EHRs threaten patient safety long after startup
Research shows that electronic health records (EHRs) can threaten patient safety long after they are first implemented. The cause is a mix of human and technological errors. -
Old drug remains active on EHR
One common problem electronic health records (EHRs) is that lists and medication lists are not updated, says Bill Fera, MD, principal with the Ernst & Young Americas Advisory Health Care Sector in Pittsburgh, PA. -
Risk managers should sign off on EHR system
Risk managers should be directly involved with choosing an electronic health record (EHR) system and also with building the system, says Robert Hitchcock, MD, FACEP, a practicing ED physician in Dallas and an Emergency Department Practice Management Association (EDPMA) board member. -
Surgical quality collaborative saves $75 million in lower costs
Ten hospitals in the Tennessee Surgical Quality Collaborative (TSQC) have reduced surgical complications by 19.7% since 2009, resulting in at least 533 lives saved and $75.2 million in reduced costs, according to new results presented at the recent national conference of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP). -
Drug approved to treat rare disorder associated with anesthesia
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Ryanodex (dantrolene sodium) from Eagle Pharmaceuticals for injectable suspension indicated for the treatment of malignant hyperthermia (MH), along with the appropriate supportive measures. -
Family members are awarded $7.9 million after botched gallbladder procedure causes death
The patient, a 24-year-old woman, sought treatment from a hospital and was complaining of abdominal pain and related stomach problems. After admission, a physician prepared to perform an endoscopy to diagnose the stomach problems -
Birth injury results in brain damage and $14.5 million verdict from jury
The patient, a 36-year-old woman, was pregnant with her second child in 2003. Near the end of her second trimester, the patient went into labor three times and was admitted to a medical center for a total of 11 days, during which time her labor was stopped with medication and bed rest. -
Obesity malpractice claims up 64% in five years
Obesity-related lawsuits against providers have risen 64% in six years, according to a claims analysis by national medical liability insurer The Doctors Company, based in Napa, CA.