Director Healthcare Risk Management in Legal Affairs (RN required)

UTHealth Houston•Houston, TX

44d•Hybrid

About The Position

UTHealth Houston is seeking a Director of Healthcare Risk Management (RN) to oversee the planning, implementation, and effectiveness of internal controls for healthcare risk management operations. This role ensures operational efficiency, asset protection, and reliable financial information in compliance with laws and regulations. The position requires a Registered Nurse (RN) with both clinical and legal experience to act as a liaison between healthcare providers and the legal department. The Director will identify, evaluate, monitor, reduce, and eliminate professional liability risk exposures. Responsibilities include providing consultation, education, and guidance on patient safety and risk reduction to clinical personnel, leadership, and medical/dental staff. This role manages and executes the UTHealth Houston's risk management program across all locations. The position involves being on-call for medical and legal emergencies, requiring initial communication with clinical staff, strategy development for risk and litigation exposure limitation, and consultation with the legal team. The ability to comprehend and engage in discussions with medical and legal professionals is essential. A Registered Nurse license and experience with such scenarios are mandatory. UTHealth Houston is a leading institution in healthcare education, innovation, scientific discovery, and patient care.

Requirements

Registered Nurse (RN) State Licensure or Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) by the Texas Board of Nursing (BON) required
Extensive knowledge of healthcare risk management principles, professional liability, patient safety, regulatory requirements, and risk prevention and reduction practices.
Strong knowledge of healthcare claims and litigation management, including experience working with legal counsel, insurers, licensing boards, and other regulatory entities.
Strong analytical, investigative, and critical-thinking skills with the ability to evaluate complex clinical and operational risk issues, identify potential exposure, and recommend appropriate risk mitigation strategies.
Excellent interpersonal, consultation, negotiation, and communication skills with the ability to advise clinical personnel, physicians, senior leadership, legal counsel, and other internal and external stakeholders on sensitive and complex matters.
Strong leadership and management skills with the ability to oversee healthcare risk management operations, establish priorities, manage staff and external resources, and ensure effective and efficient execution of the risk management program.
Work may involve handling biohazardous, chemical, and radiological materials, as well as operating associated equipment. Required safety training and appropriate engineering and administrative controls, including the use of personal protective equipment, must be followed.
Bachelor's Degree in Nursing required
7 years of experience in a hospital/hospital system, clinic health care, patient safety, or clinical quality management required
Experience in healthcare risk management, contracts management, or a healthcare-related regulatory or legal environment required
Experience practicing as a Registered Nurse (RN) in a clinical setting
Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas.

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree in a healthcare-related field, and/or MBA preferred
5 years of management experience leading people and projects preferred
Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM) by the American Hospital Association (AHA) required

Responsibilities

Coordinates and evaluates all healthcare claims and lawsuits filed against the institution and its healthcare provider employees.
Interfaces with the University of Texas System Office of General Counsel, the Texas Attorney General, various private plaintiffs, and defense attorneys in the defense of various healthcare claims and lawsuits.
Represents the institution in mediations and other negotiations in attempts to settle various healthcare claims and lawsuits.
Attends depositions and assists attorneys in working up defense of healthcare claims and lawsuits.
Assures prompt completion of interrogatories, requests for production, and other litigation assistance to The University of Texas System Office of General Counsel and the Texas Attorney General.
Serves as the subject matter expert on risk management policies and procedures.
Reviews institutional policies and procedures to ensure they include appropriate risk assessment and loss prevention provisions.
Assists in the resolution of patient treatment issues, such as refusal of treatment, consent issues, and general concerns regarding the care received.
Counsels clinical personnel on family/care provider conflicts and responds to adverse patient outcomes.
Has the authority to delay patient billing, as appropriate, until investigation of the event or problems, claims, and/or resolution of the patient complaint and/or claim/lawsuit.
Oversees the internal operations of the healthcare risk management function on a day-to-day basis.
Coordinates an efficient, well-balanced workflow for the healthcare risk management and support staff.
Oversees contract nurse investigators and reviewers.
Supervises healthcare risk management specialists and other office staff in connection with specific tasks.
Coordinates and evaluates all licensing board matters received by healthcare provider employees and students.
Assists in the institution's professional credentialing activities.
Interfaces with The University of Texas System and private insurers for professional liability insurance coverage of the institution's healthcare providers.
Conducts healthcare risk management education activities and inventories participation of the institution's healthcare providers in risk management education.
Conducts general healthcare risk management education for the institution's non-healthcare employees.
Participates in and/or staffs various institutional committees that address professional liability, risk management, sentinel events, medical errors, and other safety matters.
Works closely with risk management and patient relations personnel employed with various outside hospitals.
Organizes and maintains several databases and files relating to the scope of work.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Manages Human Resources activities for direct reports in regards to: recruiting and selection; hiring and termination, training, development, mentoring, counseling, performance evaluations, and salary planning.
Responsible for the design, execution, and effectiveness of a system of internal controls which provides reasonable assurance that operations are effective and efficient, assets are safeguarded, and financial information is reliable and compliant with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.

Benefits

100% paid medical premiums for our full-time employees
Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time – all of which equate to around 37-38 days per year)
The longer you stay, the more vacation you’ll accrue!
Longevity Pay (Monthly payments after two years of service)
Retirement/pension plan
Free financial and legal counseling
Free mental health counseling services
Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs
Other employee discounts, including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc.
Resources for child and elder care