At Houston Methodist, the Risk Management Liaison position is responsible for developing and managing a risk management program to maintain a safe environment and ensure that the organization is able to fulfill its mission and continue providing quality patient care to the community. This position is responsible for advising management on all potential sources of loss and making recommendations to improve patient care and reduce or minimize losses. The program shall include systems to identify, control, and administer risk reduction efforts. This position assures compliance with accreditation and regulatory agencies requirements.

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVED
Refer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience.

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Displays cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion principles

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Collaborates with Houston Methodist Risk Management to develop risk monitoring and reduction programs. Provides leadership in the review of system and entity policy and procedures.

• Works closely with department leaders and Patient Liaisons to identify and address potential risk opportunities that may impact the customer experience.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Develops and provides training and education programs for leadership, medical staff, and staff to improve patient care and reduce losses.

• Promotes and leads performance improvement activities throughout the hospital including reporting such activities. Assists in the peer review process, as assigned. Conducts chart review, generates reports, and presents performance information to the appropriate medical staff departments and/or committees.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Investigates, analyzes and documents actual and potential risks. Assesses the liability and probability of legal action. Notifies management of potentially compensable events and coordinates communication with Houston Methodist Risk Management. When warranted, in conjunction with quality management, initiates and conducts root cause analyses (RCA's) and internal audits (IA's), as appropriate. Collects, organizes and disseminates data to appropriate persons including preparation and presentation of reports as required. Reports data to external agencies as needed.

• Administers the risk management program on a day-to-day basis to include a system for risk identification, investigation, and reduction. Develops and implements a plan for reviewing, trending, and reporting risk management occurrence reports and reports generated from Houston Methodist Risk Management.

• Responsible for ensuring compliance with accreditation standards and regulatory agency requirements; applies current knowledge of accreditation and regulatory agency requirements. Participates in regulatory and accreditation surveys.

• Designs and implements an organized record keeping system for essential/critical documents (i.e. potential claims, claims, reports and patient/medical staff matters) that provides ease of retrieval by management, in the absence of the Risk Management Liaison. Assures all files are protected from tampering.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Participates in cost reduction efforts by making recommendations to mitigate risk.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Designs, develops, and implements project plans related to risk management initiatives. Manages reporting of these projects/measures to internal departments/committees and/or outside agencies, as needed. Provides oversight for these projects to ensure desirable outcomes are met.

• Seeks opportunities to expand learning beyond baseline competencies with a focus on continual development in risk management.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• Must meet one of the following requirements:
•       ◊ Bachelor's degree in nursing
•       ◊ Master's degree in a clinical discipline
•       ◊ Juris Doctor (JD)
  

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Three years of hospital quality management, risk management, insurance, claims or legal experience

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• RN - Registered Nurse - Texas State Licensure and/or Compact State Licensure -- For RNs within 60 days OR
• RN-Temp - Registered Nurse - Temporary State Licensure -- For RNs within 60 days OR
• NOCR-NRM - Not a Credential - For Non-Clinical Risk Management -- For non-RNs

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - PREFERRED

• ARM - Certification In Risk Management
• CPHRM - Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management (AHACC)
• or other risk management certification

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations

• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security

• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles

• Knowledge of risk management methodologies & principles

• Knowledge of accreditation and regulatory requirements

• Computer proficiency to complete job duties independently

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform No
• Scrubs No
• Business professional Yes
• Other (department approved) No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* Yes

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area No
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

Houston Methodist (HM) is one of the nation’s leading health systems and academic medical centers.  HM consists of eight hospitals: Houston Methodist Hospital, its flagship academic hospital in the heart of the Texas Medical Center, and seven community hospitals throughout the greater Houston metropolitan area.  HM also includes an academic institute, a comprehensive residency program, a global business division, numerous physician practices and several free-standing emergency rooms and outpatient facilities.  Overall, HM employs over 25,000 employees.   Houston Methodist is supported by a wide variety of business functions that operate at the system level to help enable clinical departments to provide the best patient care and service in a spiritual environment.

 

In 2019 Houston Methodist and its physicians treat more than 6,333 international patients from more than 76 countries. Houston Methodist Global Health Care Services’ consulting and education divisions also provide advisory services and training and development to health care organizations around the world.