For Heather Edwards, being Director of Risk Management at Physicians Insurance is all about helping people. She joined Physicians Insurance more than six years ago, bringing a strong clinical background and 16 years of experience as a Quality and Risk Manager.
“I had many sleepless nights when I worked at hospitals—grappling with questions like, ‘How are we going to tell this to the family?’ or ‘What’s the best thing to do next?’ It’s nice providing timely support to people in these situations,” she says.
“My approach is that there are no stupid questions,” she adds. “I just want to help people, because working in healthcare, in both clinics and hospitals, is hard. I appreciate the work they do, and I understand how many different hats they wear.”
Another key aspect of Heather’s role involves risk assessments and risk evaluations. Together with her team, she is leveraging technology to provide faster turnaround times and greater consistency.
Now, using a software-based system, the team can deliver customized reports in several days, instead of weeks. Reports can articulate the risks identified, which risks are higher, which risks could potentially cause a claim, and which risks would be hard to defend. The final report also provides recommendations, which the team can supplement with more in-depth tools and ongoing support, if needed.
Not only does this process create a timely and consistent reporting experience for Members, but it has also enabled consultants to develop additional services and resources for Members, including new guidance documents. For example, one recent initiative was to create a guidance document on risks and factors to consider in prescribing GLP-1 drugs.
Whether working proactively to mitigate risks or answering more immediate questions, Heather values the opportunity to be a personal resource for Members. This includes supporting policyholders who may be impacted by the changing Medicare and Medicaid landscape, which may be especially felt in rural communities.
Earlier in her career, Heather remembers working in a critical access hospital, and the all-hands-on-deck work ethic that prevailed there. She is a registered nurse with exposure to a wide range of departments, including emergency and surgical services, general medical-surgical departments, and healthcare clinics. She also has experience in pediatric nursing and agency nursing at acute care hospitals.
Heather draws upon her wide-ranging experience in the healthcare environment to help guide her work today. She also collaborates with teammates who have varying backgrounds and expertise across a broad spectrum.
“We learn from each other and share our different expertise,” she says. “I think it’s comforting for Members to know that I don’t know everything, but I know somebody who has the information they need, and I will get that to them, drawing from our institutional knowledge bank.”
At the end of the day, it comes back to helping people manage challenges, mitigate risks, and ensure safe, quality care. “People really are first, to all of us,” Heather says.