Risk Management in Health Care Institutions : Limiting Liability and Enhancing Care

This text serves as a primer for risk management professionals. It covers basic concepts of risk management, employment practices, and general risk management strategies. It also goes over specific risk areas including medical malpractice, strategies to reduce liability, managing positions and litigation alternatives. It includes an emphasis on outpatient medicine and the risks associated with electronic medical records. This new edition covers academic medical settings and the impact on healthcare delivery, ambulatory and outpatient surgery, and office based surgery (OBS). Each and every chapter will be updated, and more emphasis will be placed on electronic medical records including security and encryption issues. New chapters cover Risk Management for Infection Control Programs, Telemedicine, Risk Management in Ambulatory Care Settings, and Risk Management in Office-Based Surgery.

Dr. Kavaler was formerly Assistant Surgeon General {Rear Admiral}, Director of the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital, Staten Island , New York; Study Director, Milbank Memorial Fund Commission for the Study Higher Education for Public Health; and Assistant Commissioner for Health and Medical Insurance Programs, NYC Department of Health. She serves in various Medcial Director positions at CapitolCare [Blue Cross HMO-Washington, DC], SANUS in NY and NJ[ New York Life HMO], MetLife 'HMO in NY [Metropolitan Life Insurance Company].' 'She is a member of the NYS Health Department Board for Professional Medical Conduct, and former Chair of the NYS Education Department Board for Medicine and continues to serve.' 'Dr. Kavaler earned a BA from Barnard College, and MD from SUNY Downstate Medical Center, and MS in Biostatistics and MPH from Columbia School of Public Health. She is a Diplomate [CHCQM] of the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians; held a license as a nursing home administrator [NY], and a license as a health care risk manager[Fla].' Dr. 'Kavaler was formerly President, Institute of Medical Law,Inc. a seminar company, and President , Medical Network Managers,Inc. a healthcare consulting firm.Her consultation skills capitalize on extensive experience in public policy, hospital administration, ambulatory care services, health insurance HMOs, long term care, and malpractice analysis.' Dr. Kavaler is a respected educator and funded researcher and is well published. Her articles address areas of medical care evaluation in multiple settings, administrative public policy dynamics, and research activities in drug addiction, foster-child health care, hospital cost control, aging ,public health and history of medicine.Recent books include 'Computers in Medical Administration; Higher Education for Public Health;Foster-Child Health Care; Cost Containment and DRGs:A Guide to Prospective Payment.

Raymond S. Alexander is the founder and Principal in the firm of Alexander, Wollman, & Stark, a healthcare consulting and search firm based in Philadelphia, PA. ' 'Mr. Alexander has spent the majority of his career in hospital administration, having served as the CEO of Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as well as administrative positions at Beth Israel Medical Center and Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, and most recently held the position as the President and CEO of Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. 'He was one of the founders of a consortium of hospitals that later became Premier Alliance.'During the course of his career, Mr. Alexander served as Assistant Commissioner for Health and Medical Insurance Programs for the New York City Department of Health. 'He was also a member of the Governor’s Health Policy Task force in Wisconsin, and was Vice Chairman of the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania and then served as Chairman Elect. 'He has been the past chairman of the Board of the Martin’s Run Life Care Community and continues to serve on the Board of Directors. 'He has published 36 articles in areas of management and public health and has taught at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Columbia University, and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. 'He has been a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Public Health Association.Mr. Alexander holds a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s in Business Administration from Dartmouth College and a Master’s degree in in Hospital Administration from the Columbia University.Current clients include academic medical centers and teaching hospitals throughout the United States.