Hospitals and Other Healthcare Facilities

MLMIC’s Risk Management Seminar is an annual event where the executives, risk managers, and other interested personnel from its insured facilities, are presented with lectures by the foremost experts in the healthcare industry on current trends and topics essential to ongoing and effective risk management. MLMIC’s next Risk Management Seminar is scheduled for the fall 2012.

Consulting Staff

MLMIC’s Risk Management Consultants are professionals with diverse experience in the healthcare industry who are skilled in loss prevention. They are assigned to work closely with our insured facilities in the development and evaluation of their risk management programs.

For risk management telephone assistance, please call the Risk Management Consultant assigned to your facility or the nearest MLMIC office:

• New York City (800) 275-6564
• Long Island (877) 777-3560
• Syracuse (800) 356-4056
• Latham (800) 635-0666

MLMIC also employs physicians in many specialties as risk management consultants. These doctors are experienced in reviewing claims in their specialties, and therefore, have a special expertise in claim reduction/loss control techniques. They are available to participate in surveys of specific hospital departments and can deliver lectures to the employees at MLMIC insured facilities.

Regional Network Meetings

MLMIC’s Risk Management Consultants have established regional network meetings for our insured institutions to facilitate the sharing of information and problem solving. Participants include representatives from our insured facilities and MLMIC staff members. Meetings are held at times and locations that are convenient to the insureds, with most meetings including an educational program. The agendas are determined by the participants and focus on needs identified by the group. Ideas are shared, solutions to problems are discussed, RM/QI tools are exchanged, and interesting publications are reviewed. Participants also have an opportunity to network with their professional colleagues.

Policy Audits

MLMIC has identified certain hospital policies, procedures, and areas of medical practice which will be reviewed in an effort to educate hospital and medical staff regarding the current state of the law relating to hospital practices, as well as to recommend appropriate changes in organization, policies, procedures, and education. Fager & Amsler attorneys will examine the policies and procedures to identify hospital compliance with those legal standards that have a direct impact on the hospital’s professional and/or general liability.

Departmental Focused Surveys

The policy audits may be combined with a survey of a selected high risk area or department by an attorney, a physician and/or a Risk Management Consultant. A hospital that is concerned with certain liability potential or practices in a specific department may request an audit and survey of the area by an attorney and a physician, respectively, with experience in that specialty.

Biomedical and General Liability Surveys

A number of facilities are selected each year to undergo a Biomedical and General Liability Survey. The purpose of this survey, conducted by Risk Management Consultants, is to ensure the safety of a facility for patients, visitors, and staff. The survey involves a review of biomedical equipment maintenance agreements and assessment of hospital equipment. The physical plant is also reviewed from a general liability perspective, including environmental safety concerns. The results of the survey and any recommendations for corrective action are provided in a written report to the hospital.

Annual Risk Assessment and Questionnaire

An annual evaluation of the overall risk management program at your facility will include the mechanisms of the program, as well as the results achieved. The objectives of the evaluation are to determine whether the risk management activities are meeting the program goals and identify ways to improve the risk management program.

Policyholders may access a variety of legal services provided by Fager & Amsler (link to F&A webpage), counsel to MLMIC. Fager & Amsler attorneys are located in our Long Island, Latham, and Syracuse offices. The firm’s experienced attorneys specialize in healthcare law, including professional liability issues, medical malpractice defense litigation, and regulatory compliance, and have broad experience analyzing significant scientific, technical, and regulatory information relating to the health professions. They also conduct legal audits and assessments of areas of medical practice that require focused review. The attorneys monitor current statutes, regulations, and case law and keep our insureds apprised when there is an impact on potential liability. They are available to serve as featured speakers at medical and dental society member programs. Fager & Amsler also provides MLMIC insured physicians with a selection of legal forms and documents for use in their practice.

Fager & Amsler attorneys are available during regular business hours and can be reached at the following telephone numbers:

• Long Island (516) 794-7340
• Syracuse (877) 426-9555
• Latham (518) 786-2881

Hospital risk managers also have exclusive access to MLMIC’s 24-hour legal hotline: (212) 576-9800 (New York metropolitan area) and (877) 426-9555 (Upstate New York).

Staff Lecture Program

Educating staff members as to their responsibilities for providing high quality care in a safe environment is a major element of MLMIC’s risk management program. An informed and highly motivated staff is a facility’s best resource for reducing the potential for patient injury and subsequent financial loss. Another advantage of staff education is that when employees are comfortable with the loss control concept, they will more readily notify administration of patient incidents.

MLMIC’s Risk Management Consultants and Fager & Amsler attorneys are available to deliver lectures to the employees at MLMIC insured facilities, including the nurses and residents. The presentations are individually tailored to meet the needs of the target audience. Topics may include an overview of points of law, the legal elements of malpractice, basic risk management procedures, and malpractice prevention measures.

Attending Physician Involvement

MLMIC is accredited by MSSNY to provide CME for physicians. MLMIC offers risk management CME courses throughout the year to its insured physicians. Participation in certain programs is required of MLMIC physicians who are eligible for a premium credit or wish to qualify for participation in the medical malpractice excess insurance program. MLMIC may also require hospital employed physicians and/or residents to participate in these programs.

MLMIC utilizes conventional formats and new technologies, including an Internet-based format, to provide and deliver its risk management CME programs.

MLMIC’s Risk Management Library is a valuable educational resource for our policyholders, with thousands of policyholders having borrowed from our extensive collection of risk management, patient safety, and quality improvement titles. All of the titles in our collection relate specifically to initiating, reviewing, maintaining, and improving the delivery of quality healthcare. Our library collection consists of over 2,000 books and audiovisuals, and is regularly reviewed and updated to maintain a high standard of quality resources.

MLMIC policyholders can borrow from the library and utilize its research services (library searches, literature searches and cyber-searches) on a complimentary basis. Orders can be placed by using MLMIC’s Risk Management Library Guide, which contains an up-to-date listing of all available resources, or by visiting the MLMIC Library.

Another way to become familiar with MLMIC’s resources is to participate in MLMIC’s Library on Tour, where a special selection of books and audiovisual items is available, on site, for review. The Library on Tour takes place during the regional network meetings, which are held at MLMIC insured facilities throughout the year.

If you have any questions about the MLMIC Library, please call (800) 635-0666, weekdays 9:00 AM - 4:45 PM, or click here to submit them electronically.

MLMIC produces and distributes a number of publications to its insureds that pertain to current health, legal, risk management, and insurance issues. This information is provided to keep our policyholders apprised of current news and information. The following publications are available at no cost to policyholders:

Dateline

MLMIC’s newsletter (published twice a year, in the spring and fall)

Dental Dateline

MLMIC’s newsletter (published twice a year, in the spring and fall)

The Anatomy of a Lawsuit

What doctors need to know if they are involved in malpractice litigation

Runaway Jury Verdicts

Pamphlet for doctors regarding vulnerability of personal assets

Office Staff Handbook

A risk management guide for office staff concerning office procedures

A Doctor’s Self-Assessment Checklist

A risk management guide to office procedures

Telephone Message Pads

Pads with tear-off sheets for recording patient phone calls

A Closer Look at Coverage Forms - Claims Made vs. Occurrence - Physicians

A Closer Look at Coverage Forms - Claims Made vs. Occurrence - Dentists

Frequently Asked Questions - Physicians

Frequently Asked Questions - Dentists

Physician Insurers Association of America (PIAA): Colorectal Cancer Claims Study

To order any of these publications, please click here to contact MLMIC’s Policyholder Services Department electronically.