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Leaders focus on ’06 and beyond
Nearly 5,000 members turn to ASHRM for education programs, resources and the opportunity to network with colleagues. ASHRM is working to ensure that these benefits continue to meet the needs of health care risk management professionals.
ASHRM values its unique and vital role as a provider of life-long learning opportunities such as the widely recognized Barton Certificate Program as well as the new curriculum in Patient Safety. While these programs, as well as the Annual Conference & Exhibition, will continue to grow, ASHRM also recognizes the competition for time and resources of its busy members, and so the focus on distance learning through audio conferences, Webcasts and online education will expand. In addition, strategic partnerships with other specialized organizations to create additional learning opportunities will continue to be a major focus.
Besides being the primary teacher and convener for the profession, ASHRM serves as the primary professional connector. This is accomplished through the ASHRM communications network. Sharing timely information electronically via ASHRM e-News and e-Alerts is one way ASHRM connects. Online resources like the Interest Networks, Web site and special interest listservs provide a variety of methods for members to collaborate. Sharing innovations and leading practices through the Journal of Healthcare Risk Management and monographs provides yet another connection point. Anchors in the ASHRM library of resources will continue to be the Risk Management Handbook for Health Care Organizations and CPHRM examination study guide, both of which will be updated in late 2006. The Pearls series of educational booklets for staffs also will continue to be important tools for risk managers.
As ASHRM maintains its relevance in the ever-changing health care system, the board of directors and leadership have charted a course to extend its efforts in the areas of professional development, advocacy and operational effectiveness.
Following online membership and chapter leadership surveys this summer, the board used data to focus the 2006-2008 strategic plan along two convergent paths: service to new and emerging leaders in health care risk management (see Membership Growth/Demographics Chart below) and collaboration with health care risk management veterans whose breadth of experience can create a legacy of innovation and accomplishment.
Surveys help planning
A number of issues identified in the 2005 surveys have been embedded in the strategic plan in the coming year. They include:
ISSUE: Advanced learning opportunities for veteran and newer risk managers.
COMMENT: According to the membership survey, professional development opportunities are, for the most part, meeting members’ needs. Among survey respondents, 86% agree ASHRM is meeting patient safety needs. 87% agree ASHRM is meeting risk financing needs.
ACTION: ASHRM is collaborating with the International Center for Captive Insurance Education (ICCIE) to offer a November audio conference on “The Pros and Cons of Including Voluntary Attending Physician in Your Captive.” The program will feature faculty who have chosen or not chosen to include their voluntary attending physicians in their captive program. Legal and tax considerations for both scenarios will also be shared during the program, which will be detailed in e-News. In addition, discussions are under way to repeat 2005’s successful Bermuda captive conference in 2006 to provide reinsurance perspectives on evaluating captive options.
ISSUE: Value of Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management credential.
COMMENT: The CPHRM is gaining significance. Members value the credential and would like to see ASHRM do more to elevate their accomplishment and promote its value to the “C” suite.
ACTION: ASHRM is supporting an AHA Certification Center survey of health care risk managers to analyze job functions for purposes of updating the CPHRM examination and collaborating with the Certification Center to broadly market the accomplishments of credentialed risk managers.
ISSUE: ASHRM brand recognition.
COMMENT: Members like the levels of communication they receive
from ASHRM but their view of the ASHRM brand was mixed.
ACTION: ASHRM in 2006 will launch a branding strategy to further enhance member and non-member identification with ASHRM resources.
ISSUE: Professional development.
COMMENT: Members want to see ASHRM collaborate with other organizations to make resources available.
ACTION: ASHRM will continue to identify and develop relationships with clinical and risk financing organizations to extend additional learning opportunities to the membership. ASHRM also will provide a tool to help members manage their professional development using ASHRM resources. Additionally, ASHRM is collaborating with the Public Risk and Insurance Management Association (PRIMA) to develop a “risk financing boot camp” scheduled for March 2006.
ISSUE: Development of affiliated chapters.
COMMENT: Chapter leaders need a forum for sharing chapter experiences and practices.
ACTION: ASHRM will provide a stipend to qualified leaders to participate in the chapter development workshop held in conjunction with the annual conference. ASHRM also will develop a Web-based chapter handbook to make resources easily available to all. Additionally, ASHRM will continue the chapter rebate program at $25 per new ASHRM member.
An important challenge
ASHRM President-elect Peggy Martin, whose term begins Jan. 1, 2006, is confident in the path envisioned by the board and ASHRM leadership. “It’s definitely challenging to make plans and allocate resources in a way that provides flexibility, but it’s a critical function of governing boards,” she says. “I view our strategic plan as a road map for 2006 and beyond. It also serves as way for us to track and evaluate our effectiveness so that we are a ‘go to’ resource for the health care risk management profession.”
ASHRM President Pamela Popp concurs: “Strategic planning is a huge responsibility but when done well, it enhances the governance of the board and the overall performance of the organization. That’s why we do this – to leave a legacy and prepare the way for the next generation.”
Gathering input from the membership is an important component of ASHRM’s strategic planning efforts. This input and other environmental indicators will help ASHRM serve the membership. To maintain the connection in 2006, ASHRM will conduct a series of focused surveys with a representative sample of the membership. The surveys will explore a variety of timely topics of importance to the membership and health care risk management profession.
TABLE: Membership Growth/Demographics
Following are some snapshots from the 2005 member and chapter surveys. Total responses for some questions do not equal 100%. Approximately 20% of ASHRM’s membership participated in the online surveys and provided more than 10,000 written comments.
Position
19% top risk management position
12% middle risk management position
16% risk manager
Setting
32% in an acute care setting
12% in integrated delivery setting
9% in insurance company
Years in risk management
29% in risk management 1-5 years
21% in risk management 6-10 years
20% in risk management 11-15 years
5% in risk management less than one year
Years in ASHRM
15% in ASHRM less than one year
41% in ASHRM 1-5 years
22% in ASHRM 6-10 years
Involvement in ASHRM
59% limited involvement
28% no involvement
13% active involvement
Satisfaction with ASHRM
89% overall satisfaction with ASHRM
Volunteers help to get the job done
ASHRM will continue to ensure that members are made aware of initiatives as they contribute to meeting the three goals of the ASHRM strategy map: 1) professional development, 2) advocacy and development, and 3) organizational development. The map is published on www.ashrm.org (Members Services, ASHRM Governance).
Of course, the ability of an organization such as ASHRM to sustain and grow the profession’s place in the world depends on the investment of talents and expertise by its members. Participating in an ASHRM work team can result in personal satisfaction as well as knowledge that the investment can help others appreciate the value of health care risk management. Survey data also indicated that members who are the most active participants in ASHRM projects are the most satisfied members.
Please take a few moments to read and complete the Call for Participation form enclosed with this issue of the Forum. The information also is available at www.ashrm.org (Members Services, Calls/Notices). The deadline for responding is Nov. 18.
President-elect, new board commence terms Jan. 1
ASHRM’s president-elect and new members of the board of directors will begin their terms on Jan. 1 after being sworn into office Oct. 24 during the Annual Conference & Exhibition business luncheon in San Antonio, TX.
Paul Smith, Vice President and General Counsel for Cabell Huntington Hospital, Huntington, WV, is the new president-elect. He will serve as president of ASHRM in 2007. Smith will follow 2006 President Peggy B. Martin, senior risk management coordinator, Lifespan Risk Services, Providence, RI. Serving as past-president in 2006 will be Pamela Popp.
Also, new members of the board are:
Kathleen Murray, director, Risk Management, Boston Medical Center, Boston
Theresa Zimmerman, risk counsel compliance officer, Barberton Citizens Hospital, Barberton, OH.
They will be joining these current board members:
Douglas Borg, director, Risk Management, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
Mary Anne Hilliard, chief risk counsel, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC
Michelle Hoppes, president, The Risk Management & Patient Safety Institute, Lansing, MI
June Leigh, director, Risk Management Services, CNA HealthPro, Chicago
David Stallings, director of Risk Management, Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center, Seattle.
In addition to the 2006 board, newly elected nominating committee members are:
Susan Chmieleski, vice president, Risk Management and Client Services, Darwin Professional Underwriters, Farmington, CT
Mary Gutman, director, Risk Management and Insurance, Premier Health Partners, Dayton, OH
David Hester, senior risk management consultant, American Physicians Assurance, Louisville, KY
Patricia Kearney, risk management adviser, Stevens & Lee, Lancaster, PA
Mary Marta, counsel, Erickson Retirement Communities, Baltimore
Ellen Quinn, loss prevention director, Christus Health, Houston
Michael Seitz, vice president, Risk Management, Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis.
ASHRM conducts an annual election for president-elect, board and nominating committee. The board is responsible for the governance and strategic direction of ASHRM on behalf of its members. The board determines the strategic goals and direction for ASHRM and approves the society’s strategic plan, annual operating plan and budget; it also oversees programs and overall performance and provides guidance to the staff executive director of ASHRM.
ASHRM UPDATE
ASHRM welcomes new staff member
ASHRM on Oct. 3 welcomed Diane Farina White to the new staff position of associate executive director. Most recently, Farina White held the position of executive director of the Institute of Women Today, a Chicago-based nonprofit providing services to homeless women and children and to seniors. Prior to IWT, she was at a domestic violence agency in Chicago, first as director of program development and then as associate agency director, and at a large community-based mental health agency in Chicago, first as clinical supervisor and then program director. She holds a BA in English education from Northern Illinois University at DeKalb, an MA in Human Services from Concordia University in River Forest, IL, and has completed certificate courses at the Kellogg School of Nonprofit Management in Chicago.
Advisories, listserv cover disaster prep
Risk management techniques are uniquely challenged in disasters. In the wake of recent hurricanes, health care providers are keenly aware that such unexpected challenges could manifest at any time and in a variety of forms. As a service to members, ASHRM in September presented a series of three weekly advisories. The advisories are titled “Preliminary after-action report: a community in crisis,” “Disaster relief: providing emergency aid and assistance” and “Disaster recovery: rebuilding in the aftermath.” To access the advisories, visit www.ashrm.org/ashrm/aboutus/notices.html.
Additionally, ASHRM has created a Special Interest Group to facilitate the exchange of ideas and concerns via a listserv. ASHRM members who wish to join may send an e-mail request to ashrm@aha.org with the word subscribe and type disaster in the subject of the message. (Example: subscribe disaster). For listerv details, visit www.ashrm.org/ashrm/aboutus/disasterSIG.html.
Scholarship offered for Patient Safety Fellows
Sponsors of the Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship are seeking applications for the 2005-2006 program year. Participants in the yearlong program design and implement cost-effective models of health care delivery that advance patient safety and health outcomes. Applications are due Jan. 9, 2006, and Fellows will be selected in February. The Health Research and Educational Trust, Health Forum, AHA and National Patient Safety Foundation sponsor the program in partnership with ASHRM. For details and an application, visit www.hret.org. Additionally, ASHRM members may apply for a scholarship; visit www.ashrm.org (Members Services, Calls / Notices) for scholarship details.
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
Kathryn Townsend, to corporate director of Patient Safety, Catholic Healthcare Partners, Cincinnati.
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.
IN MEMORIAM
ASHRM believes it’s important to recognize the passing of members who dedicate their lives to the development of the health care risk management profession. To provide this recognition, ASHRM will print a 2005 In Memoriam feature in the next issue of the Forum.
Members are encouraged to forward recent death notices to administrative assistant Shannon Long via e-mail by Nov. 1: slong@aha.org. Notices should include the member’s complete name, as well as place and date of death, along with any personal anecdotes or comments on achievements for possible inclusion. Submissions also must include an e-mail address and phone number that ASHRM may call on for any further information.
ASHRM Foundation tool kit communicates patient safety
The ASHRM Foundation is presenting its first initiative to all members in October: a multi-media tool kit, “Communicating Your Commitment to Patient Safety.” This free resource was developed for health care risk management professionals to share with patients, their families and their caregivers.
“We believe members will find these materials useful in building trust with patients and families and enhancing their organization’s culture of safety,” says ASHRM President Pamela Popp.
The kit contains:
- A multimedia CD with a program to be shared with patients and their families via in-house television systems or hosted on a facility’s Web site where general patient information is posted. The CD provides details on how this engaging tool can remind patients to give information to their caregiver as well as get information about their care, and provide other simple tips for a safer health care stay.
- Patient Safety Tip Cards that can be freely reproduced or customized with facility-specific information.
- Information about the ASHRM Foundation explaining that the foundation’s mission is to facilitate the advancement of the risk management profession by funding education, scholarships and research programs.
The ASHRM Foundation worked with Rightfield Solutions in providing the technology to produce the tool kit. Rightfield Solutions is developer of the Emmi™ (Expectation Management and Medical Information) series of interactive Web-based programs for patients.
The tool kit is the first project of the ASHRM Foundation, founded in 2004 by ASHRM in cooperation with the Health Research and Educational Trust (HRET). HRET is the tax-exempt research and development affiliate of the American Hospital Association.
ASHRM Foundation programs are supported by contributions from individual members, chapters, industry and individual donors. Contributions to HRET in support of the ASHRM Foundation are tax deductible within the limitations of the Internal Revenue Code.
The foundation’s planned giving program is a key component in advancing the risk management profession. Planned giving offers a wide variety of options for those who are interested in including ASHRM in their financial and estate planning while enjoying applicable tax advantages. Individuals or corporations can support the foundation through a memorial or honorary gift.
For details on giving, contact Jenny Shaw at HRET (312-422-2646). For details on the tool kit, contact ASHRM (312-422-3980).
Common psychiatric care issues are addressed in latest Pearls
Anyone who cares for patients with mental illness, psychological trauma or cognitive decline – in virtually every setting – can benefit from “Risk Management Pearls for Psychiatric Care Across the Continuum,” the latest in ASHRM’s series of staff education booklets.
In a handy, easy-to-share format, “Pearls for Psychiatric Care”:
- Outlines the risks that a caregiver may encounter while caring for psychiatric patients as they move through the continuum of care, including the risks of aggression, patient elopement/wandering, falls and suicide;
- Offers risk management tips and strategies to help reduce these risks;
- Shares information on the importance of accurate documentation and the special precautions needed to protect the privacy of a psychiatric patient;
- Provides guidelines for the safe use of restraints, should they be needed;
- Addresses the importance of good discharge planning;
- Identifies risks and risk reduction techniques for psychiatric patients who may be placed in long-term care settings.
To make the booklet a cost-effective staff education tool, it is offered in specially priced five-packs. Call (800) AHA-2626 and request item 178569. It’s also available as a single copy as item 178568.
For product details, including a free sample PDF, visit www.ashrm.org (see Resources, Tools & Products page).
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:
Ashley S. Benson, Atlanta
John W. Brannock, Baltimore
Julie A. Brownell, Okemos, MI
Richard Alan Bryan, Port Orchard, WA
Tiffany B. Cusson, Macon, GA
Kim M. Gladstone, St. Louis
Mark J. Hakim, Okemos, MI
Mary Jane Hunt, Stanwood, MI
Jimmy Ray King, Altus, OK
Susann Marian Kirlin, West Chester, PA
Nancy E. LeMarbre, Waukesha, WI
Charles B. Miller, Hampton, VA
Amy F. Ray, Jackson, TN
Lisa A. Rumthun, Yorba Linda, CA
Richard D. Johnson, Boise, ID
Becky L. Smith, Boise, ID
Hope Thompson, Reno, NV
Catherine Sue Trescott, St. Charles, MO
Janet T. Welp, Dallas
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
A new online tool is available for preparing for the CPHRM Exam. Created by the AHA Certification Center (the people who created the exam), the Self-Assessment Exam (SAE) simulates the actual exam in format and content. The test offers rationales for correct and incorrect options, as well as several score reports that highlight the exam topics that they scored well in and those that need improvement. For details about the SAE, contact the AHA Certification Center at (312) 422-3713.
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 AHA Online Store. Visit www.ashrm.org (Members Services, Tools & Products) or call (800) 242-2626 and request item 178836.
ASHRM thanks conference sponsors
Special thanks to ASHRM’s 2005 Annual Conference & Exhibition sponsors:
ACE Medical Risk (mouse pad), AIG Healthcare (patient safety education track), AON Healthcare (enterprise risk management and risk financing education tracks), Chubb Health Care (25th anniversary gala luncheon & recognition gift), Corporate Laser (legal & regulatory education track), Darwin (conference totebag), Davis Risk Services (25th anniversary clock), Gallagher Healthcare Insurance (special topics education track), Marsh Healthcare Practice (conference proceedings), Marshall & McCracken (refreshment break/coffee break), Medical Protective (companion notepad), Octagon Risk Services (Monday networking breakfast), Proclaim America (cyber café), Quantros (Tuesday networking breakfast), Trinity Healthforce Learning (daily program guide), Valley Oak Systems (claims and litigation education track), Vertical Claims Management (networking luncheon) and Willis Healthcare Practice (conference lanyard).
ASHRM appreciates the participation and support of our sponsors. It is with their generosity and interest in ASHRM members that ASHRM continues to present outstanding Annual Conferences & Exhibitions.
