Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States (KPMAS) joins other healthcare organizations across the country in celebrating Healthcare Risk Management Week Presented by The Risk Authority Stanford, June 19-23, 2017. This annual campaign raises awareness about the critical role risk managers and safety professionals play in patient safety and patient care practices, quality assurance, safe work environments and liability. It also promotes solutions to help prevent some of the most common adverse events.
This year’s theme, Leading Innovation in Risk Management, celebrates the unique contributions that health care risk management professionals provide to hospitals and health systems across the country. These innovations are vital in the pursuit of advancing patient safety, reducing uncertainty and maximizing value.
“We recognize that all healthcare workers play a critical role in risk management and patient safety, which is why the concept of Enterprise Risk Management is critical. Team work across the healthcare continuum is moving us closer to zero preventable serious safety events,” said Dale Arroyo, senior director Enterprise Risk and Safety Management.
OUR TEAM
The Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group (MAPMG) Medical Legal and Risk Team in partnership with the KPMAS Health Plan Risk Management Team has reorganized for 2017. We now have a total of three providers to cover by service area, while we have a total of five senior risk managers who have moved to a service line approach to provide better service to our customers and put a face on Risk Management.
Providers:
Saadia Griffith-Howard, MD, Regional Medical Director for Medical Legal Affairs, Risk Management and Patient Safety- Baltimore and Montgomery County
Stacey Garrett, MD, Assistant Regional Medical Director for Medical Legal Affairs, Risk Management and Patient Safety – Prince Georges County and District of Columbia
Leslie Sims, MD, Assistant Regional Medical Director for Medical Legal Affairs, Risk Management and Patient Safety – Northern Virginia
Risk Managers:
Mary Ann Brown – Maternal Child Health, OB GYN/PEDs, and Radiology
Eliza Navarro – Surgical Specialties, Laboratory, and Hospital related surgical procedure issues
Karolyn Deily – Allergy; Medical Specialties; Pharmacy; Continuing Care; Behavioral Health; Facility Issues; and Transport
Elisabeth Beers – CDU/UCm Adult Primary Care; Internal Medicine; Call Center; ECM and HIMS
Katherine Bridgewater – ASC/OPS; Sterile Processing; Endoscopy; and Supply Related Issues
Role of Healthcare Risk Managers:
- Identify risks that could lead to serious, preventable safety events; and work toward preventing these events from happening
- Play an active role in a healthcare organization’s clinical, risk financing, regulatory and business issues
- Work to protect the patient and the organization’s reputation
Healthcare risk managers are the go-to professionals in a crisis:
They communicate the issues widely with all stakeholders; interact with physicians and clinical staff; educate medical staff, board members and senior leadership; and help put processes in place to reduce the risk of adverse events
Healthcare risk management is a proactive and responsive profession that works to deliver safe and trusted healthcare by:
- Saving lives, preventing errors and conserving financial resources
- Reducing organizational costs through optimal patient outcomes
- Managing enterprise risk and increasing success in risk prevention
During this week, and every day, we ask the staff to continue to keep the following four items in mind:
IDENTIFY: Identify risks in your department that could be preventable, serious safety events.
COLLABORATE: Talk to your healthcare risk manager about how you can help avoid these risks.
ADVOCATE: Talk to your healthcare risk manager about how you can help avoid patient safety risks.
LEARN: Learn more about risk management and its professionals by contacting your service line professional.
