Elements of a Risk Management Program

Jacqueline Drummond

Grand Canyon University: Elements of Risk Management Program

November 30^th, 2

Steps for Presenting a Risk Management Program to New Employees

The first step in the presentation of a risk management program to new employees will be taking them through the organizational structure. A thorough understanding of the hierarchies in the organization, the communication channels and escalation policies and other characteristics will be a necessary pre-requisite to new employees understanding the risk management program of a health care organization.

The functions of every position will be explained to the new employees. This will enable the new employees have an understanding of the role that each function plays in the risk management program. An understanding of the functions of all positions in the organization will give the new employees knowledge of risk exposure of various departments and the policies in place that the organization has in place to reduce risk exposure (Kavaler, 2012).

The risk management program of the organization will then be explained to the new employees. This will involve an in-depth analysis of the program and a discussion of the efforts that the organization is taking to identify risk, manage risk, mitigate risk and transfer risk. Hypothetical situations will be used to discuss the policy of the organization as regards risk management, and through such hypothesis, the presentation should give the employees and good understanding of the risk management program of the health institution. The risk management program of our organization involves four major categories. It seeks to ensure that the organization avoids risk by having in place policies geared towards ensuring that chances of losses are prevented. Mitigation of risk seeks to ensure that in case of occurrence, the impact of the risks on the organization and other parties are reduced through implementation of set out policies. Acceptance of risks is another part of risk management plan of the organization; and it seeks to reduce the adverse impact that the organization would suffer through policies of budgeting and insurance. Transfer of risks is the last part of the risk management program. It seeks to transfer liability in case of occurrence of risky events through transfer of such risks to third parties, especially through insurance (O’Brien, 2002).

The roles and functions that the new employees will be playing will then be brought under discussion. This will be in relation to the role that they will need to play in the risk management program of the organization. It is important that before the new employees take up their positions in the organization, they have a thorough understanding of the risk management plan of the organization so that it guides their day to day functions (Hubbard, 2009).

Compliance with the American Society of Healthcare Risk Management

The risk management program of the organization is compliant with the requirements of the American Society of Healthcare Risk management. It has instituted policies that are in accordance with the proposals that are set out, and has in place the human resources that are necessary to ensure that risk is well managed in the organization. The organization has also made patient safety the cornerstone of its risk management program, and this is in compliance with the American Society of Healthcare Risk Management proposals. The organization has made efforts to identify risks and transfer them so that it limits its exposure by taking up insurance covers. Policies in the organization regarding patient safety are also in compliance. The organization has a well trained risk manager, and conducts periodic training for staff to capacity build them on new policies regarding the risk management program of the organization. This is also in compliance with the proposals set out by the American Society of Healthcare Risk Management (Hubbard, 2009).

Recommendations for Inclusion in the Program

Changes need to be carried out in the processing of claims against the organization. More resources, financial and human, need to be allocated to the risk manager’s department so that claims can be resolved in the shortest time possible. This is very important since for a health care facility, reputation is a key aspect of the business, and any delays in the process of handling claims may cause irreparable dent on the reputation of the organization.

Change also needs to be instituted in the evaluation of the risks that are facing the health care organization. Though this falls under the responsibility of the risk manager, it is important to ensure that the health care organization has in its work force actuaries who can evaluate the risk exposure of the organization in the most accurate manner. This will go a long way in ensuring that the resources of the organization are well protected and used in the most optimal manner.

The administrative process

The administrative process is the actual policies that an organization has in place for mitigating risk. The first administrative process for any health care facility is the employment of a risk manager. A risk manager will be responsible for developing policies, in consultation with other stakeholders in the organization, for loss prevention and reduction. A risk manager will also be responsible for handling other administrative issues that are related to risk management such as risk financing, patient safety and seeking and ensuring regulatory and accreditation compliance of the health care institution (Kunreuther, 2002). A risk manager will, also in consultation with other stakeholders, develop policies for risk management program, lead the institution of changes in practice and policy of other departs to align with the risk management plans. In the environment of a health institution, the risk manager will guide medical staff behavior and conduct so as to mitigate any risk that may arise from such. A risk manager in a health organization is not involved directly with patient care but plays an active role in providing support to patients to ensure their safety (Kunreuther, 2002). In case of emergencies or when the risk management plan has been breached, or a risk occurs, the risk manager usually the point of contact to explain the events and the efforts that the health care organization is taking to limit the effect of such an occurrence. The risk manager is also responsible for handling claims that are made against the organization, and he has a duty to ensure that these claims are true (Kunreuther, 2002).

In the administrative process is the management of the health care facility, particularly, the directors of the facility to whom the risk manager report to. These individual have an important role to play in the development of the risk policies of the organization. Medical staff and other employees also participate in the administrative process of risk management. This is because these are the people who directly interact with patients and provide patient care. These are the individuals who are most exposed to risk and therefore need to be well appraised of the administrative procedures that need to be followed in case of an occurrence of a risky event (Kunreuther, 2002).

References

Hubbard, D. (2009). The Failure of Risk Management: Why It’s Broken and How to Fix It. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Kavaler, F. (2012). Risk Management in Healthcare Institutions: Limiting Liability and Enhancing Care. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Kunreuther, H. (2002). “Risk Analysis and Risk Management in an Uncertain World,” Risk Analysis (22) 4: 655–664.

O’Brien, M. (2002). Making better environmental decisions: an alternative to risk assessment, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Max Points: 140 Please note that this paper is based on a previous paper. Attached is the previous writing. Attached is the book being used for this assignment. Details: This assignment builds on the review of risk management in the “Elements of a Risk Management Program” assignment. In a 1,250-1,500-word paper, discuss techniques for maintaining a successful risk management program by doing the following: 1    Refer to chapter 7, “Techniques for Managing Safety,” in Risk Management in Healthcare Institutions: Limiting Liability and Enhancing Care. 2    Identify two major categories of risk in your health care organization. (needle sticks from some nurses recapping, trying to put needle in a fully disposable etc; extreme hot indoor temperatures during the summer. Promises to fix the air condition unit). 3    Explain how you would apply the three elements of risk management that you selected in the “Elements of a Risk Management Program” assignment. Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. This assignment uses a grading rubric. Instructors will be using the rubric to grade the assignment; therefore, students should review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations for successful completion of the assignment. •    Rubic: Identification of two major categories of risk in your health care organization is provided. The explanation of application of the three elements of risk management that you selected in the “Elements of a Risk Management Program” assignment is offered in detail, and demonstrates insightful thinking. •    Thesis and/or main claim are comprehensive. The essence of the paper is contained within the thesis. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear. •    Clear and convincing argument presents a persuasive claim in a distinctive and compelling manner. All sources are authoritative. You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin.
This opens the book: https://viewer.gcu.edu/SignIn/PPQFVX

1. In the case study, we referred to the systems being developed and used as decision supportsystems. However, we also identified various artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. How can a decision support system incorporate and use AI technologies such as pattern recognition? 2. At the Mayo Clinic, patients are given opt-inand opt-out rights concerning whether or not their information is used in the system that determines the most appropriate therapies given the specific patient profile. So far, 95 percent of the patients have opted to have their information included in the system. (This is the notion of opting in.) Why do you believe that 5 percent of the patients have opted out? Would you opt in or opt out in this case? Please provide your reasoning. 3. In this case, demographic information such asethnicity, gender, and age greatly impacts thequality of the decision support and analysis. The same could be argued for the predictive analytics system used by the Richmond policein this chapter’s first case study. Why would some people find it acceptable to use such demographic data in this case (for medical purposes) and not in the first case (for predicting crime, its location, and itstiming)? 4. One of the most popular and widely usedapplication areas for expert systems ismedicine. What role could an expert systemplay in helping the Cleveland Clinic identifypatients susceptible to abdominal aorticaneurysms? What sort of rules would theexpert system include?How might a monitoring-and-surveillanceagent be used for patients in a medicalenvironment? How can health careproviders take advantage of thecapabilities of an information agent to stay abreast of the latest medical trends and treatments? 5. How might a monitoring-and-surveillance agent be used for patients in a medical environment? How can health care providers take advantage of the capabilities of an information agent to stay abreast of the latest medical trends and treatments?