1.0 hour of Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit awarded for each concurrent session, click here for more details.
T-01
Negligent Credentialing: Preparing For the Next Wave of Malpractice Claims
In recent years, more states have recognized claims for negligent credentialing. Judgments and settlements in these cases can be huge, and the inclusion of a claim for negligent credentialing can put the healthcare provider at a tactical disadvantage. This session provides an overview of the states that recognize negligent credentialing claims, those that do not, and those that are likely to recognize such claims in the future. The common elements of such claims are explored, as are potential defenses. The speakers will present real world examples from reported court decisions, and suggest best practices.
Objectives: Identify the contours of negligent credentialing claims in specific states. Identify factual scenarios that have given rise to liability. Develop a strategy to avoid and defend against negligent credentialing claims.
Gregory Garrett, Esq
Diane D’Aiutolo
Tydings & Rosenberg LLP
Baltimore
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 122
T-02
For your convenience this session is also offered on Monday from 9:00-10:00 AM
Workplace Violence: One System’s Story
Hospitals were once considered safe havens; but the reality is that violence can occur anywhere. Risk managers must ensure that their organization has the necessary protections in place. Last September, Johns Hopkins Hospital experienced workplace violence at its worst when an armed gunman injured and killed people on the floor. An in-depth analysis of the immediate responses of the clinicians, security personnel and patients revealed the strengths and weaknesses of the plan in place. We would like to share our experiences with you.
Objectives: Understand and articulate the scope and depth of workplace violence. Assess your organization for security risks. Create a comprehensive plan addressing the risks associated with workplace violence.
Lauree Barreca, RN, JD
Margaret Garrett, MED, JD, CPHRM
The Johns Hopkins Health System
Baltimore
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 122
T-03
Patients as Risk Management Partners: Best Practices for Provider-Patient Communications
The changing reimbursement climate finds healthcare providers redoubling efforts to reduce hospital readmission rates and the incidence of hospital-acquired conditions. However, the impact that patients can have in managing care plans and optimizing treatment outcomes is often overlooked. Patient contributions to these risk management initiatives increase with the effectiveness of provider-patient communications. This interactive session will review current best practices for preparing patients to engage in discussions about their treatments and conditions, delivering that information to patients, and incorporating those communication practices into wider patient safety initiatives. It will provide tools and resources to make patients productive risk management partners.
Objectives: Analyze existing communication processes for performance improvement opportunities. Develop techniques for ensuring optimum patient understanding of provider-patient communications. Construct systems for incorporating patient communications into existing patient safety processes.
Timothy Kelly, MS, MBA
Dialog Medical
Atlanta, Ga.
Fay Rozovsky, JD, MPH, DFASHRM Dr.PH (Honorary)
The Rozovsky Group
Bloomfield, Conn.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 131
T-04
For your convenience this session is also offered on Monday from 1:45-2:45 PM
Doing Justice to Just Culture Implementation
They say it takes seven years to change a culture. Creating a “culture of safety” is no different. Yet, many health care institutions treat their Just Culture Implementation like it is any other process improvement project. This presentation will describe why the Just Culture is vital to a successful risk management program. It also will detail the journey taken by Barnes-Jewish Hospital in fostering the Just Culture. It will provide insights for institutions that are just starting to consider the Just Culture, as well as those who have already developed an implementation plan.
Objectives: Describe the benefits of fostering a Just Culture as they relate to managing your institution’s risk. Define the major tenets of a Just Culture. Create a Just Culture implantation plan for your facility.
Lisa Larson-Bunnell, JD, MHA, CPHRM
Barnes Jewish Hospital
St. Louis, Mo.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 132
T-05
The Joint Commission Now - Vision for the Future
Originally planned solely as a discussion of potential changes to the Joint Commission's Sentinel Event policy, the content of this presentation has been expanded to include other important safety-related topics critical to risk managers. Participants will gain an understanding of important new directions in the accreditation process of the nation's oldest and largest health care accrediting body. In addition, attendees will learn about several new tools being developed that will help organizations identify systems and processes in need of improvement.
Objectives: List 3 planned enhancements to the Joint Commission accreditation process for 2012 designed to better identify system vulnerabilities that can lead to patient harm. Describe 5 principles of high reliability that can be applied to health care settings to improve quality and safety. Identify the 10 most common Joint Commission “Requirements for Improvement” and what organizations can do to avoid them. Understand 3 factors prompting efforts to improve The Joint Commission’s Sentinel Event policy.
Mark Crafton, MPA, MT (ASCP)
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 129
T-06
Radiology Risk Assessment: Safety Improvement in Radiology
Radiation safety has been put in the spotlight by regulators, The Joint Commission, patient safety organizations, and others. Excessive radiation doses, burns and other skin injuries are the subject of investigations and highlighted by the media. Numerous concerns impact patient safety and increase liability including: breakdowns in communication of test results and during patient handoffs; credentialing and proficiency; and set up, use and monitoring of imaging technologies. This session describes techniques for identifying potential risk issues in this critical area. Risk management professionals from an independent, nonprofit applied health services research agency, an RRG, and an acute care hospital will discuss what can be learned, improvements that can be made, and challenges to sustainability. Speakers will provide sample tools and resources.
Objectives: Identify key safety risks in diagnostic radiation services. Select appropriate improvements for identified risks in your organization. Modify practices or processes to facilitate patient safety improvements.
Amy Goldberg-Alberts, MBA, FASHRM, CPHRM
ECRI Institute
Plymouth Meeting, Pa.
Marilyn Owens, MBA, CPHRM, ARM
Cassatt RRG Holding Company
Berwyn, Pa.
Kathleen Shostek, RN, ARM, BBA, FASHRM, CPHRM
ECRI Institute
Plymouth, Pa.
Carli Meister, M.Sc (A), RN
The Chester County Hospital
West Chester, Pa.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 125
T-07
Boomer Risk: Patient Safety Solutions for the ED Geriatric Patient
With nearly half the population projected to be older than 65 by 2020, medical providers must understand the unique needs and risks associated with these elderly patients and begin to identify and adopt alternative patient safety and risk management strategies. This program will focus on the unique issues specific to the geriatric patient that places this population at greater risk in the ED for a serious safety event. Participants learn how to modify the care delivery methods and operational work plans for the ED to prepare for the large influx of elderly patients.
Objectives: Recognize the unique issues specific to the geriatric patient that place them at greater risk. Define the top three risks for the geriatric patient in the ED and develop risk mitigation strategy. Demonstrate how to modify the care delivery methods and operational work plans for elderly patients.
Graham Billingham, MS, FACEO, FAAEM
Emergency Physicians Insurance Company
Roseville, Calif.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 128
T-08
OB Liability: Making the “Seemingly Inevitable” Financially Manageable
Obstetric risks remain at the top of the clinical liability concerns for most healthcare risk managers. While initiatives to help address risk in obstetrics exist, many of these have not proven effective in demonstrating quantifiable results. This panel session explores case studies of how transformational innovation has been used to significantly impact the cost of risk in obstetrics so that risk management leaders can draw from this experience and challenge themselves to build their own innovative approaches to address the financial risk of OB liability.
Objectives: Discover current national OB liability trends and the need for novel risk management approaches. Investigate ways to assess the value of innovation used to reduce risk and the return on investment. Devise methods for effective partnerships to support transformational innovation to reduce OB risk.
Dorothy Berry, RN, CPHRM, DFASHRM
PeriGen, Inc
Princeton, NJ,
Larry Smith, JD
MedStar Health
Ellicott City, MD
Dale Schultz
Banner Health
Phoenix, AZ
Nat Cross
Beazley Group
London
Paul Greve, JD RPLU DFASHRM
Willis
For Wayne, IN
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 126
T-09
Privacy Liability and HITECH: Are You Prepared for a Breach?
The HITECH Act not only expands the responsibility of maintaining the privacy of personal health records, but also requires implementation of very detailed breach notification requirements. This presentation will discuss the new Business Associate Agreement requirements along with what constitutes a breach of personal health information and what actions are required from a notification standpoint to be in compliance. In addition, it will discuss case studies of personal health information breaches and some pre- and post- breach risk initiatives to minimize the potential damage.
Objectives: Discuss the new requirements of HITECH as compared to HIPAA along with breach data updates. Discuss and identify the new BAA requirements and the new breach notification requirements. Identify risk mitigation initiatives for pre and post breach of PHI.
Michelle M. Samadany, RN, BSN, JD
Gallagher Healthcare
Houston, TX
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 131
T-09a
Reinvention of Your In-house Claims Management Program
Creation and development of a skilled, efficient and cost effective internal professional and/or general liability claims management program can be a challenging undertaking. This session will present the skill sets that are needed in personnel, the organizational commitment requirements of structure and resources, and the leadership skills needed to build a proactive program that can deliver optimal results. As each organization may have different goals for their claims management program (such as staunch defense orientation, conflict resolution, publicity minimization, etc.) the speaker will address varying methodologies for developing a program that suits your needs.
Objectives: Demonstrate an understanding of the personnel skill sets needed for a successful claims program. Demonstrate an understanding of the organizational requirements for a successful claims program. Identify the needs of your organization to highlight the strategic focus of the claims program.
Brian LaSalle, MS, ARM, CPCU
Lehigh Valley Health Network
Allentown, Pa.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 127
T-10
Risk Management/Patient Safety Approach to Support Providers After Traumatic Events
Risk management and patient safety professionals at the University of Missouri Health Care System share an interactive presentation of their program supporting second victims (care providers traumatized by an adverse event). Learn about the tools and resources UMHC used to train 100 peer-supporters, provide support coverage 24/7, and develop written material for providers and their families. UMHC is recognized internationally for its pioneering efforts in supporting providers. It has assisted other healthcare leaders in the development of a toolkit that will be available via the AHA website.
Objectives: Understand, recognize and identify providers who are second victims to an adverse event. Access publications and tools for additional information and ideas. Develop a support program to assist providers in distress.
Myra McCoig
Susan Scott, RN, MSN, CLNC
University of Missouri Health Care System
Columbia, Mo.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 124
T-11
For your convenience this session is also
offered on Wednesday from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Patient Safety initiatives in Tough Times: Strategies for Sustained Success
Being a champion for patient safety and quality improvement is difficult. Not only has the economy put severe downward pressure on resources, but recently published studies on the lack of safety progress since the landmark IOM report (1999) have made it even harder to gain and sustain buy-in for safety initiatives. This highly interactive, rapid-fire, panel session will explore strategies for effectively communicating the value of patient safety efforts to peers and senior executives, share lessons learned, identify potential barriers to sustained success, and discuss different approaches for overcoming those barriers in this uniquely challenging economic and political environment.
Objectives: Implement a communication strategy to highlight the effectiveness of safety initiatives. Describe effective leadership approaches for sustained patient safety success. Determine which levers for change (e.g. technology, policy, behavior) are ripe for action.
Colin Hung
RL Solutions
Toronto, Ontario
Georgene Saliba, RN, BSN, MBA, CPHRM, FASHRM, HRM
Lehigh Valley Health Network
Allentown, Pa.
Erin Graydon-Baker, MS, RRT
Partners Healthcare
Needham, Mass.
John Penrod, MBA
AHA Solutions
Chicago
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 122
T-12
Wrong Site Surgery Update: The Pennsylvania Experience
Specific program elements have proved to decrease the occurrence of wrong site surgery (WSS) cases in Pennsylvania. In this session, speakers will present an overview of the WSS cases submitted via the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority reporting system, and identify common trends and factors that contribute to WSS. They also will discuss program elements to reduce the risk of WSS in general, as well as strategies and special considerations to eliminate specific types of WSS.
Objectives: Describe common factors that contribute to WSS events. Recognize program elements associated with preventing WSS. List special considerations for specific procedures to prevent WSS.
Fran Charney, RN, BS, MSHA, CPHRM, CPHQ, CPSO, FASHRM
Theresa V. Arnold, DPM
Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority
Plymouth Meeting, Pa.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 129
T-13
Perinatal Safety: What Can You Learn from a Perinatologist?
Healthcare specialists at the North Shore LIJ Health System have implemented documentation tools and risk reduction techniques to enhance obstetrical patient safety and care. In this session, speakers will highlight specific techniques and strategic planning used to reduce risk. They will outline methods to ensure better patient outcomes through improved communication, documentation, enhanced privacy and staff education. They also will present mechanisms to integrate liability reduction with quality and patient safety initiatives, and review the dashboard for obstetrical performance improvement. Patient scenarios will be used to illustrate these principles.
Objectives: Identify specific risk factors in obstetrical patients that increase liability. Utilize proven techniques to reduce risk to both the patient and institution. Understand the importance of documentation and communication in obstetrical practice.
Victor Klein, MD
North Shore LIJ Health System
Manhasset, N.Y.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 132
T-14
Mergers & Acquisitions: Is Risk Management at the Table?
In today's healthcare environment, mergers and acquisitions have become commonplace. Risk management and insurance-related issues are critical aspects of mergers and acquisitions. Assessment of risks assumed in new business transactions provides critical information for evaluation of new relationships for the health care organization. Comprehensive risk assessments allow organizations to gather necessary information, communicate key issues to appropriate leaders, ensure due diligence and direct strategic planning to successfully integrate a new entity into the organization. This presentation considers risk management’s contribution and offers processes and tools to utilize when conducting risk assessments during mergers or acquisitions.
Objectives: Describe risk management’s role in conducting risk assessments as part of mergers and acquisitions. Outline the categories of risk issues to be included in a pre-acquisition risk assessment. Adapt risk assessment tools for use in your organization’s pre-acquisition process.
Rhonda Koele, RN, MS
Teri Burthay, ARM
Allina Hospitals and Clinics
Minneapolis, Minn.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 125
T-15
Healthcare Civil Rights Violations: Are You Prepared to Pay the Price?
Civil Rights violations can be extremely expensive to your organization. Not only are defensive costs, settlements and investigations pricey, a violation can jeopardize your Medicare funding as well as your community reputation. This session will provide you with valuable information about how Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 affects healthcare organizations. The speakers will review: 1. federal requirements and how they apply to healthcare organizations, 2. tips for assessing risk at your hospital, 3. connections between language assistance and informed consent, and 4. what to expect with a federal investigation. They also will review the outcome of an actual case.
Objectives: Better understand federal language assistance requirements and their relationship to healthcare providers. Better understand the connection between language assistance and informed consent. Better understand how to avoid federal investigations related to language assistance and Title VI of theCivil Rights Act of 1964.
Linda Larkin, RN, BSN, CPHRM
Memorial Health Systems
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Bruce L. Adelson, Esq
Federal Compliance Consulting, LLC Potomac, Md.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 128
T-16
Kirsten Faria
Allied World Assurance Co. Ltd.
Hamilton, Bermuda
Joseph Sullivan
Greg Hamlin
Zurich North America
New York
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 128
T-17
Mitigating Risk in Gynecologic Care
You are invited to participate in a panel discussion designed to help identify and reduce common medical-legal risks in outpatient gynecologic care. The program will discuss a series of clinical scenarios involving common medical-legal risks in outpatient gynecologic care, including cervical cancer screening. The speaker will address how the standard of care is defined in each situation, and discuss how to deliver it in a manner that is both medically and legally sound.
Objectives:Identify opportunities to reduce medical-legal risk in outpatient gynecologic care. Define and deliver the “standard of care” in cervical cancer screening and other gynecologic care scenarios. Manage patient reluctance/refusal and other barriers to care.
Victor Cotton, MD, JD
Law and Medicine
Hershey, Pa.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 127
T-17a
Research and Translational Medicine: Recognizing and Reducing Risk
As more healthcare entities conduct research, boundaries between preclinical and clinical research are blurring and academic/private partnerships are increasing. Preclinical research is often focused on emerging therapies, such as gene treatments and stem cell products. Translational medicine is an emerging field, focused on the rapid transition of basic research discoveries into clinical settings to better predict, prevent, diagnose and treat disease. While cutting edge medicine holds much promise, there is a great deal of uncertainty about associated risks. This session explores the risks associated with translational research and medicine, and the various treatments that can help reduce loss exposure.
Objectives:Describe the liability loss exposures associated with research in healthcare entities. Discuss potential loss exposures in translational medicine. Identify treatments that help reduce risk exposures in translational research and medicine.
Becki Kanjirthinkal, MS, RN, CPHQ, CMQ/OE, CPHRM
CNA HealthPro
St. Joseph, Mo.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 124
T-18
Sharp End Risk Managers: A Method for Teaching Staff
Often risk managers feel there are things going on that we don’t know about. How do we ensure that staff are aware of potential risks and see the latent events that they encounter daily? How can we ensure they give these potential and real events the weight of recognition and action they deserve? In this presentation, you will learn a comprehensive approach to teaching sharp end staff — including transport, dietary and housekeeping staff as well as nursing and medical specialists — about the way that risk managers approach risk. This interactive presentation includes tools and creative strategies for educating staff.
Objectives: Discuss key attitudes and knowledge required by front line staff to identify and address risk. Demonstrate an approach to teaching clinical staff about key risk management concepts and activities. Demonstrate a clear and engaging strategy for teaching non-clinical staff how to identify risk.
Cynthia Siders, RN, MSN, CPHRM, DFASHRM
Janelle Mickelson, RN, BSN, MSA, CPHRM
Geri Amori, PhD, ARM, CPHRM, DFASHRM
The Risk Management and Patient Safety Institute
Lansing, Mich.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 122
T-19
For your convenience this session is also offered on Monday from 1:45-2:45 PM
Dealing With a Rogue Physician
More healthcare risk managers are dealing with “rogue physician” issues in their organization. Whether the allegations involve over treatment, fraud and abuse, or a criminal act, healthcare risk managers have to manage complex and various regulatory, legal, insurance, financial and reputational issues associated with this exposure. This session will provide an overview of the types of exposures. It will explain “batch” insurance coverage, how to work with state and federal regulators, how to manage the onslaught of requests for information including e-discovery, and how to deal with the press.
Objectives: Understand different types of events that are gaining notoriety involving rogue physicians. Realize different areas of exposure for a healthcare organization involving rogue physicians. Consider elements of a claims and risk management program for incidents involving rogue physicians.
Linda Jones, MHA, CPCU
RCM&D Healthcare
Towson, Md.
Susan McDonald, RN, JD
Peninsula Regional Medical Center
Salisbury, Md.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 132
T-20
Leading Change and Innovation: A Step-by-Step Approach
Change is constant and inevitable in healthcare operations. Successful leaders need a holistic approach to connect with both the hearts and minds of those involved in the change effort, to bring about timely, effective and sustainable results. To improve the success rate of transformational change, and avoid common pitfalls, an evidenced-based approach methodology is needed. John Kotter’s 8-Steps to Successful Change can easily be adopted by transformational leaders.
Objectives: List the eight-steps of John Kotter’s Change model. Describe the significance of impacting feelings and not analysis. State three examples illustrating “increased urgency” and three examples of making “change stick”.
Judith Sands, RN, BSN, MSL, LHRM, CPHQ, CCM, ARM, CPHRM
Raleigh, N.C.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 131
T-21
Resolving the Medicare Lien, Getting to Closure
The struggles of the Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) in implementing the MMSEA continue to complicate the process of Medicare compliance. Employers are faced with millions of dollars in potential exposures and a constantly moving target. This session will enable employers to determine if they are in the right place with respect to Medicare compliance challenges as well as discuss what are becoming the new best practices in this area.
Objectives: Gain a better understanding of MMSEA and the process of Medicare compliance. Identify and overcome Medicare challenges allowing you to close files in a timely, efficient manner. Learn the new best practices in this area.
Michael Merlino, III, Esq.
Sedgwick CMS
Duluth, Ga.
Tim Over, ARM, ALCM, CPSM, AIC
Sedgwick CMS
Chicago
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 129
T-22
Safety Alert Management in the Modern Healthcare Enterprise
In this session you will learn how Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation worked to develop a strong and effective safety alert management program across their system. Speakers will focus on hazard and safety alert management best practices, challenges and typical pitfalls to avoid, and observations on effective programs. They also will provide a review of ECRI Institute’s top ten healthcare technology hazards for 2011, along with guidance and recommendations to help you ensure that your hospital is not at risk.
Objectives: Promote healthcare product safety alerts management as an essential patient safety initiative. Assemble/develop a network of safety champions throughout the hospital or health system. Identify the inherent risks of certain healthcare technologies in order to help prevent risk.
Maria Garrity
ECRI Institute
Plymouth, Pa.
Lauren Hollenbeck
Baptist Memorial Healthcare
Memphis, Tenn.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 126
T-23
For your convenience this session is also offered on Monday from 9:00-10:00 AM
Protecting Your HCO: Know Your ACO’s Risks and Impacts
Healthcare Organizations may elect to participate in or even form their own Accountable Care Organizations to take advantage of the Shared Savings Program mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. An ACO will significantly change the risk profile of a HCO and may require additional insurance coverage to address new exposures. The speakers will share strategies for addressing the many risks, the potential impact of these risks and mitigation techniques that risk managers must consider when performing due diligence on the formation of an ACO.
Objectives: State three potential risks associated with forming and operating an ACO. Describe three essential insurance/risk transfer techniques for addressing ACO exposures. Educate senior leadership on the top two potential risk impacts and recommend treatments for each.
Deana Allen, CPHRM, ARM, AIC
Mary Botkin, ARM
Willis
Atlanta
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 125
T-24
Alarm Fatigue: Think you don’t have a problem? Think again. Alarm safety, particularly alarm fatigue, continues to be a topic of concern for many healthcare organizations. Understanding the definition and causes of alarm fatigue, and how to combat it, will save lives and reduce injuries in your organization. Reducing alarm fatigue and improving clinical alarm management is a complex issue. A proactive system’s approach is a viable method of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of alarm coverage and patient safety.
Objectives: Understand the importance of preventing alarm fatigue. Identify several examples of alarm fatigue and their underlying causes. Understand how to take a proactive system’s approach to improving alarm management and preventing alarm fatigue. Identify several strategies to prevent alarm fatigue and improve alarm management.
Mark Meyers, RN, BSN, MBA, NE-BC
ECRI
Plymouth Meeting, Pa.
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 128