Inside This Issue
Click here for a .PDF version of this document
Return to Archives
Conference sets stage for bright future
ASHRM will celebrate 25 years of service when it holds its 2005 Annual Conference & Exhibition Oct. 23-26 in San Antonio, TX.
“What a tremendous achievement, evolving from a small networking group to an organization known worldwide for its efforts in promoting safe and trusted health care,” says ASHRM President Pamela Popp.
ASHRM’s “Silver Celebration” of success promises to be the best, most comprehensive educational and networking program possible – one that meets ASHRM’s strategic commitment to professional development and an even brighter future.
Education sessions
A diverse faculty of thought leaders in patient safety, risk financing and claims administration will share wisdom and experience on matters of vital interest in 48 concurrent education sessions. Sessions will arm risk managers and patient safety officers – as well as quality managers, clinicians, insurance professionals, attorneys and other health care professionals – with information they can take away and apply at their own organizations.
Session topics are labeled according to content level – Essentials, for the beginning risk management professional or someone who wants a refresher course, or Advanced, for the more experienced risk management professional who desires in-depth analysis and study.
Additionally, sessions are organized by topic track – Enterprise Risk Management, Claims & Litigation, Risk Financing, Legal & Regulatory, Patient Safety and Special Topics (innovations relevant to a variety of today’s risk issues).
Of special note, Tom Gallagher, MD, of the University of Washington, and Kerry Bommarito of Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, on Oct. 24 will present the results of ASHRM 2005 Error Disclosure Survey, a project in which more than 1,800 ASHRM members participated. The survey will compare risk managers’ and physicians’ attitudes regarding disclosure.
Keynotes’ insights
Forward-looking keynote speakers will bring new insights into issues that challenge ASHRM Annual Conference attendees.
Futurist and innovation expert Jim Carroll, this year’s opening keynoter, will show how risk managers can anticipate trends, develop key leadership skills for the future and view change as an opportunity to pursue rather than a threat to be feared.
Sorrel King, whose daughter Josie died as a result of medical error, will share the podium Oct. 24 with risk manager Richard Kidwell. This compelling keynote presentation pairs two people who were bonded through tragedy but who learned to seek answers together to achieve an ultimately positive outcome: safer care for others.
Erik Wahl on Oct. 25 will bring his unique “Art of Vision” to help organizations and individuals accomplish extraordinary innovation. Wahl entertains audiences while revealing practical ways to make their organizations more creative, productive and responsive.
And best-selling author Joseph Grenny (Crucial Conversations, Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High) will close the conference Oct. 26 with a report on his important “Silence Kills” study, which depicts the impact of poor communication on health care.
Networking opportunities
Several networking meals and coffee breaks will be provided during the week. The gala event is the Presidents’ Reception on Oct. 23 that immediately precedes the opening of the profession’s largest tradeshow. This year, approximately 120 exhibitors – many of them new to ASHRM – will demonstrate helpful products and services Oct. 23-25 (exhibition hall doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 23).
In addition, ASHRM’s Annual Business Meeting and 25th Anniversary Gala Luncheon is set for noon. Oct. 24. The president will recognize all volunteers, make special note of ASHRM’s past successes and tell how the organization is poised to help the profession continue its growth.
On-site amenities
Internet-connected computers at the cyber café will allow conference attendees to catch up on e-mail, confirm return flights and order ASHRM products online for convenient delivery back home. A selection of the latest risk management resources including books, pamphlets and CD-ROM toolkits will be stocked in the on-site bookstore.
New this year, ASHRM will provide shelf space for display copies of members’ publications for $25 per day, per publication. Member authors will be responsible for dropping off and picking up their publications and for fulfilling the orders. Shelf space rental fee is due to ASHRM by Oct. 10 along with a member author agreement. For details, visit www.ashrm.org or e-mail sgiannoulias@aha.org.
The cyber café and bookstore will open at 2 p.m. Oct. 22 and close at 11 a.m. Oct. 26. Daily hours will be posted on site.
Thanks to sponsors
Many amenities and programs are supported by sponsors including ACE Medical Risk, AIG Healthcare, Aon Healthcare, Chubb Health Care, Darwin, Davis Risk Services, Gallagher Healthcare Insurance, Marsh Healthcare Practice, Marshall & McCracken, Octagon Risk Services, ProClaim America, Trinity Healthforce Learning (formerly Primedia/Safestart Healthcare), Valley Oak Systems, Vertical Claims Management and Willis Healthcare Practice.
(A few sponsorship opportunities remain. Contact Mike Zibrun at 312-541-0567, ext. 46 or Julie Ford, at 312-541-0567, ext. 30 for details.)
Festive location
ASHRM’s Silver Celebration will be a reunion of friends, and downtown San Antonio provides a colorful setting for that. The famous River Walk’s cobblestone and flagstone paths border both sides of the San Antonio River as it winds through the middle of the business district. The River Walk conveys many personalities – quiet and park-like in some stretches, while other areas are full of activity with European-style sidewalk cafes, specialty boutiques, nightclubs and gleaming high-rise hotels.
For more information about San Antonio, call (800) 447-3372 or visit www.sanantoniovisit.com.
Rooms and registration
All general sessions, educational sessions and the exhibition will be held downtown at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Several room blocks at nearby hotels have been reserved for ASHRM. This year, housing reservations are not being made by calling the hotels but rather via the ASHRM Housing Bureau Web page. Using the Web page is strongly recommended to help assure preferred accommodations.
For general information, visit the conference Web page at www.ashrm.org, call (312) 422-3980 or e-mail ashrm@aha.org.
Special pre-con events stretch travel dollars
The linchpins of ASHRM’s educational offerings are the Barton Certificate in Healthcare Risk Management Program and the Patient Safety Curriculum, both of which will be offered in San Antonio in conjunction with the conference.
To register for these events, visit www.ashrm.org or call (312) 422-3980 to request a form.
Essentials module
The Barton Certificate Essentials module is an excellent opportunity to gain knowledge on risk identification, analysis and control; risk financing; compliance; program development and more. (See related story below for news about college credit recommendations for modules students.)
Essentials will be offered Oct. 20-22 at the Marriott Riverwalk. See Pages 24 and 25 of the conference advance program for faculty and agenda, or visit www.ashrm.org.
Patient Safety Curriculum
Session III of ASHRM’s Patient Safety Curriculum – Application of Patient Safety Principles – will show how to apply principles and tools shared in Sessions I and II.
Patient Safety Curriculum Session III will be offered Oct. 21-22 at the Marriott Rivercenter. See Pages 26 and 27 of the conference advance program for faculty and agenda, or visit www.ashrm.org.
CPHRM exam prep
Also this year, ASHRM is offering a newly expanded CPHRM examination preparation course. The course is an engaging and comprehensive overview of material corresponding to the six content areas of the exam, and includes a copy of the CPHRM Examination Study Guide (3rd Edition).
The CPHRM prep course will be held Oct. 22 and 23 at the Marriott Riverwalk.
‘I have to admit it was my first time’
ASHRM member Stephen Crawford, MD, CPHRM, FCCP, of the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, shares his experiences as a first-time attendee at last year’s Annual Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, FL.
I suspect that I was not the typical first-time attendee in Orlando. For starters, I am a physician and I am in the Navy. In addition, I have already passed the CPHRM. I finished medical school in 1978, am board-certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine and critical care, and resigned my position as a clinical professor in medicine to accept my Navy commission in 2001.
I have attended medical conferences from Hobart, Australia, to Berlin. So I know annual conferences and have something to say about this ASHRM meeting.
First, this meeting met its stated objectives. This was no small undertaking! The objectives stated in the program guide covered a broad range of educational areas, from Claims & Litigation to Risk Financing. …
Each session was clearly labeled in the program for the attendees to find the topics they wanted. I especially liked the attempt to identify sessions as being “Essentials,” for beginners, or “Advanced.” I only wish I had been able to attend more sessions.
There were highlights of the conference that stood out from most medical meetings I attend. The first was the sense of a warm welcome to ASHRM that the organizers conveyed. The first-time attendees’ breakfast was a nice touch. The affair was low-key and comfortable. A reception might have afforded more of an opportunity to mingle and meet people, but those chances certainly came later.
The name badges were adorned with ribbons to identify “first-time attendees,” “CPHRM,” “Board Members” and others. This was very useful, without being pretentious. Even more importantly, attendees paid attention to the ribbons, which was a nice icebreaker for meeting people.
Another highlight was the quality of the keynote sessions. I had become accustomed to famous people giving keynote lectures of minimal interest to the majority of the audience. Well, the irrelevance was missing from the talks at the ASHRM conference! I took important concepts away from every one of the lectures.
The exhibition hall was a familiar site to any medical conference attendee. However, the level of support for ASHRM impressed me. This interest by industry to sponsor the conference speaks highly of the prestige and importance of ASHRM in the health care community. There was a sense of collegiality and common purpose that is missing from most medical meetings.
I found it refreshing to attend a meeting where the attendees seemed genuinely focused on sharing information and experiences and were less interested at impressing colleagues with how smart, important or well funded they were. This sense of “society” lent itself to an atmosphere where the evening social events and reception were open, carefree and just downright fun!
Don’t get me wrong. There is room for improvement, but it is not at the basic organization of the educational program. Information about when and where box lunches were available was difficult to find. Sessions occasionally took a while to locate. However, these were minor issues compared to the amount of useful information I learned and valuable personal contacts I developed.
On the whole, this was a highly successful and enjoyable conference. I am looking forward to San Antonio in October 2005. Can I wear a tag stating “second-time attendee”?
NOTE: This year’s First-Time Attendees’ Breakfast is set for 8-9:30 a.m. Oct. 23.
Modules earn college credit recommendation
Participants in ASHRM’s professional certificate program can now receive college credit recommendations for this training, under a new agreement with the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions.
Retroactive to April 11, 2005, the American Council on Education (ACE) recognizes the modules of the ASHRM Barton Certificate in Healthcare Risk Management as baccalaureate degree-level offerings. This new status adds to the continuing education credits that have been awarded to ASHRM by the American College of Healthcare Executives, Healthcare Quality Certification Board, and other accrediting bodies.
“Since the Certificate’s inception in 1992, hundreds of health care risk management professionals have completed the modules,” says ASHRM Executive Director Elizabeth Summy. “The modules are seen as building blocks that progressively enhance strategic skills in management of risk in health care settings. They also provide a solid foundation for growth in an increasingly competitive field.”
While employers have long recognized ASHRM’s Barton Certificate as a strong indicator of professional development, the ACE college credit recommendations should enable a greater number of participants to receive tuition reimbursement from their employers when it is offered.
Now, completion of each module and passage of a final exam may qualify participants for one semester hour of credit (per module) in risk management or health care administration. To apply the ASHRM credit recommendations toward a college degree, modules participants should request an official transcript from the ACE Transcript Service. Colleges and universities throughout the country regularly accept the ACE recommendations when appropriate to a student’s degree program.
About the certificate
The ASHRM Barton Certificate in Healthcare Risk Management program consists of three sequential Modules: Essentials for new risk managers and others who wish to refresh their skills, Applications for those with up to five years of experience seeking to enhance professional skills and techniques, and Advanced Forum for health care leaders focused on small-group analysis of complex and emerging issues. Seasoned faculties lead all three interactive modules, each of which consists of 18-20 hours of instruction over a three-day period.
All modules are presented twice annually and one is presented in conjunction with ASHRM’s Annual Conference & Exhibition. (This year, Essentials will be offered Oct. 20-22 in advance of ASHRM’s Silver Celebration Annual Conference, Oct. 23-26 in San Antonio, TX.)
Founded in 1918, the American Council on Education (ACE) is the nation's unifying voice for higher education. ACE serves as a consensus leader on key higher education issues and seeks to influence public policy through advocacy, research and program initiatives. ACE members and associates are approximately 1,800 accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities and higher education-related associations, organizations and corporations.
Advanced Forum module: In the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 1 semester hour in risk management or health care administration.
Essentials in Healthcare Risk Management module: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate or upper division baccalaureate degree category, 1 semester hour in risk management or health care administration.
Note: In order to receive ACE credit recommendations, modules students must successfully pass the final examination.
For details on the ACE College Credit Recommendation Service, call (202) 939-9434 or visit www.acenet.edu.
Chapter News
Texas chapters to host a special night
The Texas Chapters of ASHRM – South Texas, North Texas and Greater Houston Societies for Healthcare Risk Management – invite Annual Conference attendees to join them for ASHRM’s very own Night In Old San Antonio (NIOSA) from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Oct. 24.
ASHRM’s “NIOSITA” will be a smaller version of the annual four-day NIOSA fiesta celebrating the flavor of San Antonio. ASHRM’s host chapters have arranged for the San Antonio Conservation Society, which stages the NIOSA, to put together the NIOSITA.
The cost is $65 per person, which includes Mexican foods, beverages and sweets accompanied by mariachis and other music. The registration form can be downloaded at www.ashrm.org. For details, contact Martha Kennemer at (281) 440-2458 or Joyce Lahue at (210) 297-7969.
ASHRM welcomes Bermuda affiliate
ASHRM is welcoming a new chapter in Bermuda. The Bermuda Society for Healthcare Risk Management became affiliated with ASHRM earlier this year and launched with about 25 members. The officers are Judy Hart, president; Annie Sousa, vice president; and board members Peter Strong, Kirsten Faria, Marianne Romeo, Susan Pateras, Roger Gillett, Gordon Astwood, Kimberly Morgan and Rod Attride.
The Bermuda chapter will be welcomed officially Oct. 24 at ASHRM's Annual Business Meeting and 25th Anniversary Gala Luncheon during the 2005 Annual Conference & Exhibition in San Antonio.
NEW CPHRMS
The Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management designation provides a credential that verifies a broad-based knowledge of risk management. Certification elevates professionals in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Congratulations to recent CPHRM achievers:
Nancy E. Barnes, Evansville, IN
Mary Burrell, Glendale, AZ
Michele Johnson Calderon, Carmel, IN
Debra Ann Clementino, Okemos, MI
Penny D. Cole, Covina, CA
Liz Michelle Fragoso, Arlington, TX
Barbara A. Hacker, Allentown, PA
Betsy J. Hauser, Madison, WI
Harold William Maynard, Hope Mills, NC
Lou Anne McLeod, Lebanon, NH
Lori B. Notowitz, Portland, CT
Linda Marie O'Bryan, Louisville, KY
Janann D. Paiva, Mazomanie, WI
Debbie F. Spafford, Vernal, UT
Cheri Strempel, Morgan Hill, CA
Regina Mary Vukson, Sanger, CA
Kirstin B. Weixler, Salt Lake City
Clint R. Welch, Columbus, OH
The CPHRM designation is awarded based on participants meeting eligibility requirements and passing an examination. For details about the designation, download the CPHRM Candidate Handbook from the AHA Certification Center via www.aha.org/certification or call (312) 422-3715.
Application, test appointment can be done online
Online application for the Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management
(CPHRM) credential allows candidates who pay by credit card to apply for the examination and schedule an appointment to test in one visit. This tool may be used for computer-based testing only.
The steps are easy: 1) visit www.goAMP.com, 2) click on “Candidates,” 3) select the “Healthcare” category, 4) select the “AHA Certification Center” program, 5) select the CPHRM examination application, 6) select “Register for Exam," 7) log-in as a new user to create a certification profile, and 8) follow the prompts to enter application information, eligibility and payment information, then schedule the exam.
Preparing for the CPHRM Exam
- ASHRM’s CPHRM Examination Preparation Course is an engaging and comprehensive overview of material corresponding to the six content areas of the exam. ASHRM’s next course will be held Oct. 22 and 23 immediately preceding the Annual Conference & Exhibition in San Antonio, TX. Course registration details are included with conference information at www.ashrm.org.
- The CPHRM Examination Study Guide (3rd Edition) covers exam content in a flexible format to meet the needs of anyone who has not yet purchased a study guide or does not plan to take a CPHRM Examination Preparation Session. Content was adapted from the Risk Management Handbook for Health Care Organizations (4th Edition). Also, practice tests in the study guide correspond with the CPHRM content outline. The study guide is available for purchase via the ASHRM Store. Call (800) 242-2626 and request item 178836.
ASHRM Update
Aug. 16 audio conference topic: 2006 Patient Safety Goals
“Introducing the 2006 JCAHO National Patient Safety Goals” is the title of ASHRM’s next audio conference, set for 1-2:30 p.m. CDT Aug. 16. The program will identify key changes and additions for 2006, discuss strategies for implementation and practical tips for compliance, and examine implications the risk manager must consider.
Peter B. Angood, MD, vice president and chief patient safety officer for the Joint Commission International Center for Patient Safety, will be special guest. The faculty will include Richard J. Croteau, executive director for Strategic Initiatives at the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO); Mary Krystine, RN, MS, director of performance improvement and patient safety, Ashland Community Hospital, Ashland, OR; and Jane J. McCaffrey, DFASHRM, MHSA, director of safety & risk management, Self Regional Healthcare, Greenwood, SC.
Due to JCAHO rules, recordings of this program will not be available for purchase. For details, including registration information, visit www.ashrm.org.
Health care track to open Bermuda Captive Conference
A program titled “Growing Your Health Care Captive” on Sept. 12 will focus on the roles of risk managers and brokers and provide reinsurance perspectives on identifying and evaluating captive options. This health care track, presented by ASHRM, its Risk Financing & Claims Administration Interest Network and ASHRM’s new Bermuda chapter, will kick off the first Bermuda Captive Conference.
The conference will be held Sept. 12-14 at the Fairmont Southampton Hotel in Southampton, Bermuda. For details, visit www.bermudacaptive.bm.
Program to cover safety, compliance and risk issues
A new health care safety conference, “Safety, Compliance and Risk Issues,” is set forSept. 26-29 in Kansas City, MO.
A faculty of government officials, industry experts and hospital safety and security professionals will help participants prepare for Certified Healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP) certification, get answers to pressing compliance issues through Q&A sessions, and stay abreast of new JCAHO standards and OSHA regulations to avoid costly mistakes. Interactive sessions will facilitate sharing of best practices. For details, visit www.tfilearning.com or call (508) 614-1234.
AHA urges Americans to put end-of-life wishes in writing
The AHA, with support from ASHRM, has launched a national education campaign to encourage Americans to document end-of-life preferences in advance directives while they are still healthy and able to make decisions.
A new Web site, www.putitinwriting.org, provides easy-to-use information in English and Spanish, including links to advance directive forms for every state, answers to common questions, and a downloadable wallet card that alerts health care workers that the carrier has an advance directive. The campaign also includes a public service announcement urging people to talk with family, friends and caregivers about their wishes, and to sign an advance directive.
Interest Networks provide specialized information
ASHRM’s new Patient Safety Interest Network and Risk Financing & Claims Administration Interest Network deliver timely content and resources tailored according to risk managers’ primary needs, whether they are focused on patient safety efforts or on traditional risk management issues of risk financing and claims administration.
ASHRM members may choose to supplement their regular ASHRM membership with either or both of the ASHRM Interest Networks for an annual membership fee of $25 for each Interest Network. Join by using the ASHRM membership form and selecting the Interest Network options near the bottom. For details, visit www.ashrm.org or contact ashrm@aha.org.
Adjustments help ensure delivery of e-News
ASHRM’s weekly e-News is a popular benefit of membership and the easiest way to stay up-to-date on risk management news, members-only products and program discounts, information on educational offerings, and more. As long as ASHRM has a current e-mail address (which members can confirm by checking the online Member Directory at www.ashrm.org), e-News is delivered to the e-mail server for that address every Friday.
Increased e-mail security, however, may prevent some members from receiving this service. Members who are not receiving e-News may contact ashrm@aha.org for assistance.
ON THE MOVE
Ellen Quinn, to loss prevention director, Christus Health, Houston.
Lee Paige, to senior vice president, Hilb Rogal & Hobbs,
Boston.
Sheila Hagg-Rickert, to chief risk officer/senior vice president, Sun Healthcare Group, Albuquerque, NM.
Make sure your peers know where to find you now. Send notices for On the Move to ashrm@aha.org. Member contact details may be found in the ASHRM member directory at www.ashrm.org.
