Scope of Services
Risk Management Consultations
CHI owners are provided consultations upon request. The scope and nature of these consultations vary but include, at a minimum:
- Unlimited number of telephone consultations
- Unlimited number of research and literature reviews
- Ongoing risk management mentorship provided by risk management consultants
- On-site consultative days
- Risk assessments (baseline or service-specific)
Risk Management Education
Webinars – In response to the challenges CHI owners face participating in person at education programs, Optima offers educational webinars. These programs run one hour, are accredited, and enable larger numbers of health care staff to participate.
Bite Size Learning (BSL) Modules – Links to Employment Practices Liability (EPL) 20-minute pre-recorded sessions are distributed monthly and can be forwarded throughout CHI owner organizations to managers and supervisors.
Mentorship Programs – Optima provides CHI owner risk managers periodic opportunities to increase their knowledge and skill in dealing with non-clinical risk issues. The Optima service team, and other distinguished faculty members, teach interactive, practical and easy-to-understand sessions on critical non-clinical risk issues. These programs are exclusive to CHI owner risk managers to foster collaboration and networking among CHI owner facilities. Depending on the program topic, additional employees from each facility may be invited to attend. The program is offered either on-site or via Zoom platform.
Risk Forums – Periodically Optima Risk Management Services offers full-day Risk Forums. Registration for the Risk Forums is complimentary to the employees and medical staff members of CHI owner facilities. There is no limit to the number of participants that a facility may send.
Biennial Owners Retreat – On a biennial basis, Optima sponsors a 1½ day Owners Retreat that promotes the value of Enterprise Risk Management from the Board level and in collaboration with the medical staff. As a CHI owner, conference registrations are complimentary. Each CHI owner facility is encouraged to send a “team” of individuals, consisting of a member of the Governing Board, CEO, Chief of Medical Staff (or designee), Risk Manager, CFO, CIO, HR Director (or designee), and Director/Vice President of Nursing Services (or designee).
Tailored Loss Prevention Educational Programs – Optima Risk Management Services collaborates with hospitals, health care facilities, and physician groups to provide on-site loss prevention educational programs that target the facility’s or group’s major exposures. Optima’s Risk Management Consultants work with owner risk managers on the coordination of these programs.
Networking Surveys – Optima Risk Management Services conducts networking surveys and/or requests on risk management related issues, upon owner request. An e-mail request is sent to all “CHI Insured Risk Managers” with the survey topic, or the search for policies/procedures. All owners who respond to the survey receive the survey results and any sample policies/procedures that are provided.
Other Educational Opportunities – Optima Risk Management Services promotes attendance at annual conferences of professional organizations (CSHRM, SCAHRM, and ASHRM).
Accreditation – Optima is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) to provide continuing education units to registered nurses.
Publications & Services
Newsletters – Optima Risk Management Services provides a monthly electronic newsletter, the Risk Management Filter, that provides a summary of key issues for health care providers. The items in the newsletter have been extracted from the designated publications. For the complete story and additional information, website links are provided for each item.
Optima Risk Management Services provides a quarterly publication, Lessons Learned, documenting a closed claim review and including tools and resources to mitigate the risk(s).
Benchmark Reports – An annual Claims Experience Benchmark Report is produced exclusively for select CHI owners, which provides a comparison of claims experience relative to other CHI hospitals as well as national and state averages. For those owners purchasing the optional Employment Practices Liability (EPL) on their CHI policy, an annual EPL Claims Benchmark Report is also produced. The report provides a comparison of EPL claims experience relative to other CHI hospitals.
ECRI Subscription – For owners interested in the service, Optima underwrites the cost of the ECRI Institute’s Health System Risk Management or Aging Services Risk Management subscription.
Excellence in Employment Practices Fund – An Employment Practices Liability (EPL) Risk Management initiative was established and approved by the CHI/Optima Board of Directors to “prevent one” EPL claims for CHI owners who purchase the optional EPL coverage on their CHI policy. In support of this initiative, the “Prevent One – Excellence in Employment Practices Fund” (Fund) was established and provides expense reimbursement for approved EPL risk mitigation efforts, up to $3,000 for each owner (with EPL coverage). The Fund is typically provided during the year(s) the Biennial Owners Retreat is not held.
Risk Management Research
Optima Risk Management Services can provide in depth research on topics, upon request.
