Every day, employees of the Crozer-Keystone Health System find themselves in situations that could put the hospital and physician practices at risk of financial loss. Whether it’s in the operating room, in the hallways or on the road, the risk of liability is always present.
Fortunately, every CKHS employee doing his or her part ensures the safety of patients, visitors and staff members and reduces the risk of financial loss — a move that benefits everyone.
“Every employee can reduce risk to the institution, to himself or herself, and to our patients, visitors and staff,” says Linda Ramsey, Assistant Vice President for Claims Insurance & Risk Management at Crozer-Keystone Health System. “You have the power to make our facilities safer.”
In recognition of National Health Care Risk Management Week, Ramsey offers the following list of the top five things you can do today to reduce risk and ensure safety at Crozer-Keystone hospitals and facilities.
No. 1: Provide safe care today and prove it tomorrow (document, document, document).
If a patient receives the best of care, but his medical chart doesn’t reflect it, it’s like it never happened.
“Many times, good care is given to a patient, but you can’t tell from the medical record,” Ramsey says. “The medical chart should be as complete as possible. Make a note of every medication given, every vital sign recorded, every procedure completed. If, for some reason, there is a dispute over care, the chart serves as the official witness. You cannot have too much detail.”
Ramsey also recommends staying clinically current to ensure the best possible care is provided to each patient.
“Not only is it important for our physicians to stay clinically current, but it is also essential for nurses, aides, and anyone else involved in the care of our patients,” she says. “Make sure you continue your education by attending conferences, reading medical journals and speaking with colleagues on a regular basis.”
Also, be courteous. You may be the best provider, but if the patient has to wait or feels he or she cannot talk to you, the care you give may be perceived as poor. Patients will judge your care based on their own experience. Patients may not know what treatment they need, but they do know what “clean” is — and can judge by your tone of voice whether or not you genuinely want to help them.
No. 2: Protect your own safety.
You cannot help your patients and provide for your family if you’re injured.
“The first rule of protecting your patients is to protect yourself,” Ramsey says. “We need a healthy staff to care for our patients. Therefore, you must practice proper safety techniques. Make sure you use personal protective equipment, such as gloves, masks and goggles, to protect yourself from fluid spills and splashes. Use slide boards and ask for help when moving patients in and out of bed. Use sharps trays and safety needles at all times. If you are hurt, the entire institution can suffer from your loss.”
To correct an unsafe condition in the work place, employees must report work-related injuries to their immediate supervisor as soon as possible. Ideas to create a safer workplace can be e-mailed to workerscompensation@crozer.org
No. 3: Make your environment as safe as possible.
A hazardous condition can result when workplace safety is not observed.
“Be aware of your environment,” Ramsey says. “Spills and trash can be dangerous for everyone, from our patients to our staff to our visitors. If you see a spill, put a cone over it, warn people away from it, and call Environmental Services. If you see a piece of trash on the ground, pick it up and throw it in a wastebasket. We all create liability for Crozer-Keystone if we fail to take action to prevent accidents.”
No. 4: Be a safe driver.
“Most of our employees drive a car or other vehicle at some point during the day, whether it’s back and forth to work or for work-related business,” Ramsey says. “About 80 percent of CKHS management staff drive to offsite meetings, and many of our employees drive extensively, from the EMTs and paramedics who operate ambulances to home care staff who drive to patient homes to security staff who patrol the facilities. All of that driving creates liability.”
To reduce your risk of being involved in an incident, practice automobile safety. Observe all traffic laws and regulations, wear your seatbelt, and keep your driver’s license current and unimpaired by fines and your vehicle well-maintained and registered. Also, complete all required vehicle safety courses and pay attention while driving.
Ramsey recommends using the “three-second” rule: when following a vehicle, watch for the vehicles in front of you to pass a marker (such as a lamppost, a tree or a marking on the roadway), then count “one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand.” You should not pass the same marker before you complete “three-one thousand.”
“The ‘three-second’ rule helps ensure that you will not be involved in an accident if the vehicle in front of you is forced to stop on short notice,” Ramsey says.
No. 5: Secure your workspace.
“Theft is a huge liability issue,” Ramsey says. “Every employee should take steps to make sure that their patients’ belongings, as well as their own belongings, are safe and secure.”
To reduce the risk of theft, use lockers to store patient belongings, and make sure your own belongings are locked in a drawer or office. Or, leave valuables at home.
“Be aware of who is in your area, and what his or her purpose is,” Ramsey adds. “Theft can occur when the public has access to things the public should not have access to. Keep offices locked when not in use, and utilize locking drawers or cabinets to secure medical records, equipment and other valuables.”
Crozer-Keystone Health System’s Risk Management Department is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any employee with questions or concerns. Risk managers are also available for teaching and training courses for any department.
“We cannot tell you how to do your job, but we can tell you what the law requires and help you limit your liability, match the law, and still meet clinical standards without exposure to undue financial risk,” Ramsey says. “We encourage all staff members to use Risk Management as a resource whenever necessary.”
To learn more about Risk Management or offer suggestions on how to reduce risk, e-mail riskmanagement@crozer.org, or call the risk manager at your site:
Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Community Hospital, and Springfield Hospital: Nancy Young, (610) 447-2995 or 15-2995.
Delaware County Memorial Hospital and Taylor Hospital: Joan Meighan, (610) 284-8156 or 12-8156.
Corporate Workers’ Compensation Director: Richard Graham, (610) 447-2996 or 15-2996.