| If we think about a comprehensive healthcare risk | | | | Supply chains have also become a major |
| management solution, what are some of the | | | | healthcare risk management issue for many |
| things that come to mind? If you look up this | | | | industries. Many new laws now require that |
| topic on the internet, you're sure to receive a | | | | contractor employees be screened almost to the |
| litany of different answers. Healthcare risk | | | | same degree as any new employee beginning |
| management could mean managing the risks of | | | | work. With this amount of new work, it is almost |
| who is going to pay you, managing privacy issues, | | | | impossible to operate without getting new funding. |
| or handling the risk of security breaches - the list | | | | In the healthcare field, securing new funding, |
| goes on and on. I sat down with one of the most | | | | particularly for non-profits, can be difficult. "It |
| experienced healthcare professionals I know to | | | | always helps to be able to draw a parallel |
| give me her perspective on risk from the top. | | | | between outgoing costs and securing new |
| Her name is Marsha Burke, and she was most | | | | revenue," said Marsha. |
| recently the Chief Executive Officer of WellStar | | | | Ensuring Patient Safety & Other Concerns |
| Health System, one of the largest health systems | | | | Being as risk-conscious as a CEO of a major |
| with over $1 billion in annual revenue and over | | | | healthcare chain needs to be, Marsha successfully |
| 1,300 hospital beds. | | | | implemented a healthcare risk management |
| Identifying a Proper Risk Management Solution | | | | solution powered by the latest technology. |
| One of the biggest healthcare risk management | | | | Healthcare is a technologically-driven enterprise, |
| issues on her mind was patient safety. This topic | | | | but even with all the advancements in the world |
| has garnered lots of attention in the news, and | | | | of MRI's, CT scans, and robotic surgeries, it's still a |
| multiple groups have dedicated teams reviewing | | | | very service-oriented business, and service |
| this initiative. I asked Marsha Burke about all the | | | | requires people. You still have lots of people |
| advancements that hospitals have made with | | | | coming and going. It's pretty easy to make sure |
| respect to patient safety, and if it was still | | | | your machines are secure, but the biggest risk is |
| possible to walk in to a patient's room with | | | | still people. That's what a hospital's most important |
| unvetted access. The answer was yes. "Certain | | | | asset is. "Managing the risk between patients, |
| areas have more security than others, such as | | | | employees, suppliers, sales reps and everyone |
| the baby ward and the intensive care units, but it | | | | else coming onto the property can be daunting, |
| would be very difficult to try to secure all rooms | | | | but it is still the most important part of a |
| of an entire hospital," mentioned Marsha. It is true | | | | healthcare enterprise," Marsha re-iterated in |
| that security can at times collide with commerce, | | | | closing. |
| but hence the term risk management...not risk | | | | Finding a risk management solution that works, |
| elimination. | | | | while keeping to financial constraints, is a |
| The biggest concerns around healthcare risk | | | | necessity. Fortunately, there are healthcare risk |
| management security issues seem to still involve | | | | management systems that exist to assist with all |
| people. We see it all the time where doctors | | | | of these different issues. Some may do |
| whose medical licenses have been revoked are | | | | everything, or nothing, or anything in between. |
| still practicing or where a nurse who isn't certified | | | | The important issue to remember when it comes |
| somehow gets through the system. How do you | | | | to finding a healthcare risk management solution is |
| fix this problem? Marsha said that "if there was a | | | | DO NOT DO NOTHING. Patient safety isn't an |
| healthcare risk management solution that could | | | | issue that is going to go away and, with all the |
| constantly monitor any changes in criminal history | | | | political discussions regarding healthcare, now is not |
| or licensure status and instantly alert the | | | | a time to be on the front page news explaining a |
| employer if there has been a new incident, that | | | | lack of a risk management solution. As Marsha |
| tool could be immensely helpful." Again, all of this | | | | mentioned, there are many facets of risk, but |
| boils down to cost. | | | | people are still the biggest one. |