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CLINICAL RISK MANAGEMENT


New models Another significant change is the dramatic shift in the models used to deliver care. This, too, has had an impact on the risks faced by healthcare organizations. “One model that appears to be expanding


is the role of the nurse practitioner,” says Lambrecht. “I recently updated Coverys’ educational offering on this topic to help our clients understand the benefits of utilizing nurse practitioners and manage the associated risks.” For all the changes that are taking place


there is certainly a lot of opportunity as well. “In light of these changes it’s no surprise


that the role of the healthcare risk manager has greatly expanded to include compliance, quality, safety and security, medical staff office and other roles. “It has changed largely because so many


other office practice or facility functions are connected to risk management that there has to be some operational link. The risk manager is the obvious person to be the operational link,” says Lambrecht. In this new landscape, she sees a lot of risk managers being required to conduct due diligence for acquisitions or for their own organization, if that is being acquired. More broadly, she says, risk managers must


also face the challenge of having the time to identify and address the risks within their organizations and staying current on the regulations, standards and publicly reported quality data. “This is why their involvement in local and national risk societies is so important for a risk manager. They can get a wealth of information and education on cutting-edge risk management matters,” she says. Lambrecht herself is the immediate past


president of the North Carolina ASHRM chapter and has held a number of positions within the organization, including PR & Marketing chair, vice president and president. She is also on the national ASHRM Chapter Leadership Committee. “My experiences with my local ASHRM


chapters shaped my understanding and appreciation of the challenges healthcare providers face every day at the various points of care,” she says. Other formative experiences have included


her nursing career, when she worked in a hospital that was very proactive in clinical areas and in achieving high patient satisfaction at a time when there was little talk about this particular healthcare measure.


“However broad your experience, it is valuable to get a different perspective by asking


somebody else.” “That experience as a nurse, particularly in


that hospital, enabled me to see a profound and positive impact on patients’ lives and outcomes,” she says. Later, during her legal career, Lambrecht


defended many different hospitals and saw the potential for a more proactive approach to risk management throughout US healthcare. “I saw the same clinical issues arise over and


over again. I wondered if we could adopt the proactive model from my hospital to prevent or mitigate harm, and produce optimal patient outcomes and give patients and caregivers a great experience.”


The risk management mission Later still she headed a risk management team set up to help the regional health authorities in Trinidad & Tobago develop a risk management program. This, too, shaped her understanding of what good healthcare risk management should achieve. “It was a profound experience for me. I saw


that risk managers everywhere are united by the goal of trying to prevent harm and give


www.hrmronline.com


HRMR January 2015


patients a good experience, so I said to myself: it doesn’t matter if you’re in a sophisticated system or in a system that may not have all those resources, as long as that goal is the same, and everybody’s working hard to try and accomplish it.” Lambrecht says that she is always learning


in her role, and that one of her greatest lessons has been to listen so that someone feels heard, respected and understood. “Being non-judgmental is important


because we never know what we would do faced with the set of circumstances that a care provider is in. I’ve also learnt to be creative in my approach to problems; this can really make a difference in how things are championed and accomplished.” Other key lessons include always seeking input from those who would be affected by recommendations and from other experts. “However broad your experience, it is


valuable to get a different perspective by asking somebody else, and it enables you to bring in evidence and information to influence decisions. I’ve also learnt to give a variety of options whenever possible.” Lambrecht is in favor of the way healthcare


risk management is being integrated into all risk domains of an organization or practice, in line with the philosophy of enterprise risk management. “It gives a more accurate snapshot of the


potential risks, and because we have a more accurate snapshot we can really anticipate and start addressing those risks instead of waiting for something to happen.” In the future she hopes risk managers will


continue to have more interaction with key stakeholders and leaders so they can help guide and educate them about the true impact of a given risk. “I would also like to see local risk management societies reach out to risk managers, obtain input on what they are facing every day and what their hot topics are and provide just-in-time learning to help them meet those challenges.” At the same time, she plans to use her role


at Coverys to continue to learn and innovate as she strives to keep pace with clients’ needs. “Healthcare reform has increased my


clients’ and my own responsibilities. However, I am truly excited to help my clients navigate these uncharted waters and grateful to have the Coverys resources to do this,” she says. “It helps me achieve my number one


objective of being a trusted and sought out resource for my clients.” n


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