Position Summary:
The Risk Management Specialist is responsible for the overall management of potential risks and liabilities within Boston Medical Center (BMC) and serves as a role model displaying behaviors that support a strong culture of safety. The Risk Management Specialist responds to patient harm events, learns from individual cases, identifies risk trends, and actively educates leaders, administrators, clinicians and staff regarding methods to maximize patient safety and simultaneously reduce professional liability claims.
Department: Risk Management
Schedule: 40 hours
Essential Responsibilities/Duties
1. Event Intake & Triage
- Receives and reviews adverse event reports (computerized + phone)
- Manages intake and ensures timely follow-up
- Identifies sentinel events (SREs)
- Provides initial response guidance to staff
- Participates in on-call system
2. Investigation & Case Management
- Leads investigations (interviews, medical record review)
- Manages event reviews to meet 30-day completion
- Prepares investigation reports
- Collects documentation for claims defense
- Leads/coordinates high reliability collaborative case reviews
- Provides feedback to reporters
3. Data Management & Analytics
- Maintains RL Solutions database
- Tracks and analyzes adverse event data
- Reviews aggregate data for trends
- Identifies risk-prone processes and safety gaps
- Supports QA/RM databases for committee review
4. Regulatory & Compliance Reporting
- Reports to external agencies (DPH, DMH, CMS, BORIM QPS)
- Coordinates regulatory surveys and responses
- Ensures compliance with Safe Medical Devices Act (recalls)
- Keeps current with regulatory/legislative changes
5. Risk Mitigation & Legal Coordination
- Refers cases to Claims to reduce liability
- Partners with General Counsel
- Works with Patient Advocacy on risk/legal issues
- Supports defense preparation for claims
6. Patient Safety & Quality Improvement
- Collaborates with Quality & Patient Safety staff on action plans
- Designs interventions to prevent errors
- Monitors action plans post-SREs
- Identifies health equity gaps
7. Policy Development & Program Support
- Reviews and develops hospital policies
- Supports department-specific safety programs
- Ensures communication of RM policies
8. Education, Communication & Collaboration
- Educates staff on risk management, patient safety and liability reduction
Job Requirements
Education:
- Bachelor’s Degree required.
- Advanced degree (i.e., JD, master’s) preferred.
- Concentration in nursing, science or other healthcare related field preferred.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations Required:
- CPHRM preferred.
- RN Preferred.
Experience:
- With CPHRM or RN certification - Requires at least 5 years of clinical care/healthcare experience.
- Minimum of 7 years' relevant work experience in risk management required in lieu of degree/license
- Minimum of 2 years in risk management/patient safety/quality improvement.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSA):
- Prior risk management or related experience in a healthcare setting required; knowledge of medical malpractice, healthcare law, and healthcare terminology preferred.
- Must have interpersonal skills necessary to deal effectively with administrative and clinical leadership, staff, clinical chairpersons, and other healthcare professionals.
- Ability to effectively interview individuals and groups from diverse professional backgrounds.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle matters of sensitive nature.
- Ability to collect event information and organize into a coherent narrative.
- Basic command of data management and analysis required.
- Highly self-motivated. Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and adhere to work deadlines.
- Ability to inspire trust and be seen as someone who provides support and assistance.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Excellent presentation skill including ability to speak before large audiences and prepare and provide presentations.
- Excellent computer skills including Microsoft Office; ability to learn new computer applications such as adverse event reporting software (RL Solutions).
- Occasionally needed to work irregular hours or additional hours for on-call purposes.
- Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability as role may evolve in a changing environment.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans
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