Charting the Path to Patient Safety: How Clinical Documentation Impacts Risk Management and Professional Liability

Event Schedule by Time Zone: 
Pacific: 10 AM to 11 AM | Mountain: 11 AM to 12 PM | Central: 12 PM to 1 PM | Eastern: 1 PM to 2 PM

In healthcare, accurate clinical documentation is not just a clinical necessity, it is a crucial defense against legal and financial risks. This session will explore the critical link between clinical documentation and risk management, focusing on how effective documentation practices can reduce legal exposure, ensure quality care, and safeguard against regulatory compliance issues. Attendees will acquire actionable insights into improving documentation quality, avoiding common pitfalls, and ensuring compliance with legal standards. By understanding the profound impact of documentation on both patient safety and liability, healthcare risk professionals can take proactive steps to minimize risk in their organizations.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify key components of accurate and effective clinical documentation and analyze common documentation pitfalls.
2. Review case studies involving legal claims where documentation defensibility was the primary issue.
3. Provide practical strategies to enhance documentation practices and increase defensibility.

Speakers:

Dennis Durbin, Jr., MSN, CPHRM, CPPS, NE-BC, CCRN-K, is a healthcare risk management director, registered nurse, and Master of Science in Nursing-prepared executive leader with more than 20 years of progressive experience in neonatal critical care, nursing leadership, patient safety, and enterprise claims and risk management. He is a trusted advisor to executive and clinical leadership and is recognized for his contributions to strengthening regulatory compliance, mitigating organizational exposure, developing high-performing teams, and advancing a sustainable culture of safety through interdisciplinary collaboration and data-informed decision-making.

S. Linda Habibi, JD, MBA, CPPS, CPHRM, FASHRM, started her career as a medical malpractice defense litigator and is now the Director of Patient Safety, Risk Management, and Patient Relations at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA. Fueled by a passion for adult learning, Linda serves as Faculty for ASHRM’s HRM Essentials certificate program, New England Regional Healthcare Risk Management Conference Steering Committee Chair, and is a MSHRM board member. She received the ASHRM Rising Star Award in 2024.

Yolanda Sims, JD, MHA, is an attorney specializing in healthcare risk management with two decades of experience advising hospitals, health systems, and physician practices. She counsels healthcare providers and administrators on healthcare regulations, HIPAA and health information privacy, medical staff governance, professional licensing matters, and policy development. In addition to her advisory work, she is a frequent speaker at conferences and professional education programs. Her leadership experience includes board service with an FQHC, support for community health and youth-development initiatives, and a commitment to pro bono service. She holds a JD/MHA degree and is an active member of ASHRM and the Kansas and Missouri Bar Associations.

Member: $39.00
Non-Member: $99.00