Anne Flitcroft, RN, BSN, Associate Vice President of Risk Management at Physicians Insurance/MedChoice, leads a team of risk consultants and content managers dedicated to helping Members reduce and mitigate risk by identifying and assessing ways to improve processes and implement best practices.
The services that the risk-management team provides vary widely, from providing education, guidance, and consultation on daily questions via phone or email to offering proactive, comprehensive services like risk evaluations and more in-depth risk assessments.
What really sets the team apart is their relationship-centered approach to supporting each account. The members of the risk-management team—including Flitcroft, who is a registered nurse—have also previously worked in hospital or clinic settings. Therefore, they know how important it is to have the support of an experienced and knowledgeable advocate for managing both routine and complex scenarios, such as creating standardized processes for patient handoffs or preparing emergency teams for uncommon crisis situations. “I think our approach helps us build a connection with our Members and establish trust,” says Flitcroft.
Flitcroft emphasizes that the support provided is intended to help Members achieve their care-delivery goals while also recognizing that they must balance their risk-management initiatives with a long list of other priorities. “We’re acting in their best interests by bringing their attention to issues that might not be on their radar, and working collaboratively to identify solutions that are realistic and sustainable,” she says.
For many accounts, education can be an impactful tool to help inform medical teams on industry trends or topics related to their specific areas of practice. That’s why the risk-management team provides extensive educational offerings that are available not only to physicians and other healthcare professionals, but to their staff as well. For example, accounts have access to customized presentations from risk consultants and external subject-matter experts, as well as a continually updated online library that provides tools like checklists and guidance documents. Additionally, select accounts may benefit from simulations that use high-fidelity mannequins to re-create intense clinical scenarios and offer opportunities for realistic, hands-on development and learning. “We work with accounts to identify what topics are most meaningful and the obstacles they may be struggling with to make sure we’re addressing their specific needs,” says Flitcroft.
While the risk-management team’s goal is to proactively mitigate risk, they also provide support in response to incidents or claims activity, and consult regularly with other departments, including underwriting and claims. Working together, the team can develop customized solutions that draw on their in-depth, cross-functional knowledge and lessons learned from supporting accounts nationwide.
Flitcroft says that she can speak confidently for the members of her team in saying that the most rewarding part of what they do is working directly with Members to address whatever challenges they may be facing. “To put our hands in together and collaborate with our internal teams and the account—and to see Members’ relief when we’re able to tackle issues that are troublesome to them—that’s definitely rewarding,” she says.
CTA: Learn more about our risk-management services at https://www.phyins.com/.