Clinical Risk Manager

Bassett Healthcare Network•Village of Cooperstown, NY

About The Position

The Clinical Risk Manager provides consultation and expertise on regulatory requirements from the New York State Department of Health, CMS, and The Joint Commission. Under minimal supervision of the Director of Patient Safety & Risk Management, the role uses advanced risk-management knowledge and professional judgment to support the organization and promote patient and staff safety. The position administers systems for regulatory reporting, including NYPORTS, and gathers information, analyzes data, investigates events, and prepares responses for sentinel events, NYPORTS events, near misses, and quality-of-care concerns. It applies root cause analysis methods, tracks and trends quality outcomes and incident reports, recommends improvements, and oversees corrective-action plans and their effectiveness. The role also coordinates clinical reviews, reviews medication variance reports, and works with departments to implement and sustain system improvements. The Clinical Risk Manager prepares analyses and reports for organizational committees, leadership, the Board of Trustees, and annual safety reporting. It serves as a consultant and expert resource to providers, staff, leadership, and relevant colleagues; represents Risk Management on committees and multidisciplinary teams; educates staff on risk and safety; and participates in assigned on-call duties, conferences, special studies, and other duties. The role maintains current knowledge of regulatory and accreditation requirements, protects patient information, and may perform extensive weekly travel.

Requirements

Associate degree or diploma from a nursing program required; a four-year bachelor's degree in nursing is preferred.
At least 3 years of acute-care nursing experience required.
At least 1 year of experience in one of the following required: RN quality management, risk management, RN performance improvement (including unit-specific projects), or leadership (such as charge nurse, assistant nurse manager, or house supervisor).
At least 1 year of experience with database management systems required.
Current New York State Registered Nurse license required.
Skills in communication, analysis and evaluation, reading, writing and comprehension, data management, and computer use.
Ability to travel extensively, with weekly travel expected.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Nursing.

Responsibilities

Administer institutional systems for regulatory reporting, including the New York State Patient Occurrence Tracking and Reporting System (NYPORTS).
Gather information, analyze data, investigate and respond to sentinel events and NYPORTS events, and apply appropriate root cause analysis methodology.
Investigate near-miss events and follow up on quality-of-care reviews and investigations.
Track and trend NYPORTS outcomes and incident reports, identify safety concerns, and recommend improvements, including Root Cause Analysis and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis when appropriate.
Coordinate clinical reviews and work with departments to recommend, implement, and monitor the sustainability of system improvements and corrective-action plans.
Review, investigate, and analyze medication variance reports for trends, safety, and liability issues.
Prepare reports and analyses for committees, organizational leadership, the Board of Trustees, and annual safety reporting.
Consult with providers and staff on risk-management issues and serve as a resource on legal and regulatory matters.
Represent Risk Management on assigned committees and teams, including Medication Safety, Emergency Preparedness, Morbidity & Mortality, and Risk Reduction committees.
Ensure timely investigation, analysis, and reporting of NYPORTS events and compliance with root cause analysis, database tracking, and reporting requirements.
Maintain current knowledge of NYSDOH, OMH, CMS, EMTALA, and accreditation reporting requirements; disseminate relevant updates to key administrative personnel.
Apply NYPORTS criteria to reporting and follow-up, alert the department director to events requiring immediate attention, and collaborate to identify and track related events.
Review incident reports promptly, ensure investigative findings are complete, and crosswalk incident reports with daily safety-huddle issues.
Communicate significant safety-event findings promptly and keep organizational leadership and malpractice carriers informed of relevant issues.
Perform chart reviews as required and attend assigned morbidity and mortality conferences to identify reportable events and understand discussion outcomes.
Conduct literature searches as requested and proactively explore potential system failures using the FMEA process.
Monitor the viability and effectiveness of risk-assessment plans.
Educate staff at all levels, including residents and physicians, and develop and present in-service education on risk management and safety, including resident education through the CGME program.
Build effective working relationships with the Medical Director, department directors, healthcare team members, and committee participants.
Complete assigned on-call duties, mandatory in-services, educational activities, and special assignments; perform other duties as requested by a supervisor or manager.
Protect confidential patient information and ensure it is not discussed or accessible except as needed for job duties.
Provide guidance on risk-management questions and use the Department Director as a resource when necessary.