BETA Healthcare Group Delivers Online Education Targeted to Risk Management Professionals

BETA Healthcare Group’s (BETA) dedicated risk management and patient safety education offerings have hit the mark with the first webinar on navigating social media reaching sold-out status. Offered as part of its BETA*rm Connect, the year-long webinar series is dedicated to addressing the changing needs and specific responsibilities of healthcare risk managers. BETA has partnered with the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) to facilitate and deliver content directly to its members and insureds via expert-led webinars.

“Risk managers are on the frontline of patient safety. Facing a broad and increasingly complex range of patient care issues, it’s critical that the individuals responsible for advising healthcare teams have ready access to current thinking and expertise,” said Annie Herlik, RN, J.D., CPHRM, Vice President, Risk Management & Patient Safety at BETA. “The strong response to our webinar series underscores the strong demand among risk managers for continual education and support.”

was the first of six risk management webinars scheduled for 2013. Registration for the 30 ports accessible to BETA member teams at no charge were reserved within days of the session announcement.

“With hospitals and physicians nationwide facing challenges—and headlines—due to mismanagement of social media and online communications, this was an important area to address early in the year,” said Mary Ott, RN, M.S. CPHRM, DFASHRM, Director, Risk Management & Patient Safety at BETA. “The discussion focused on steps risk managers can take in setting and enforcing policies and advising physicians and other hospital team members regarding the use of Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets, as well as direct email communications with patients. Risk managers realize that online communications are an integral part of the healthcare experience today and that providing guidance and parameters for proper use is an important step in ensuring patient privacy and mitigating risk exposure.”

As the top provider of hospital professional liability coverage in California, BETA insures hospitals ranging from large, urban hospitals to remote, rural facilities. In 2012, BETA introduced BETA*rm Connect, a gateway to timely risk management and patient safety education for BETA members and insureds. The hub provides ready, real-time access to educational and training materials and makes it easy for members to utilize the BETA risk management funds they have accrued.

“Online training has proven to be an invaluable resource for reaching risk managers and physicians. It’s an ideal way to ensure teams—especially those in remote areas—have access to timely information and that training is consistent and of the highest quality,” added Herlik.

The remaining 2013 risk management webinar dates and topics include (advanced registration required; all sessions held at 11:00am pacific):

In addition to online courses, BETA offers in-person trainings for risk management professionals. On September 23 and 24 at the Hilton Mission Bay San Diego, BETA members are invited to attend (at no charge) an 8 hour prep course for the Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management exam. The Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM) designation is a widely respected credential that verifies a broad-based knowledge of healthcare risk management. There are 1,900 CPHRMs nationwide. The prep course is followed by a complementary risk symposium focused on addressing areas of high frequency and severity in professional liability claims, including obstetrics, emergency medicine and patient centric care.

“Risk managers play a vital role within the healthcare community. The range of issues they have to navigate is always changing, but the overarching goal of patient safety remains the same. BETA recognizes the challenge these professionals face in staying connected, sharing best practices and anticipating issues. Education and tailored training is a key part of what’s needed—and what we’re delivering,” added Ott.

BETA Healthcare Group provides healthcare professional liability coverage to more than 150 hospitals and healthcare facilities in California. As the leading choice of liability insurers for California hospitals, BETA’s long-established commitment to California physicians continues to grow with more than 5,000 insured physicians and over 60 medical groups. Whether it's hospitals, medical groups, clinics or hospices, BETA has earned a reputation for financial strength, rate stability, quality service and breadth of coverage that is unparalleled in the industry. For more information, please visit .

The American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) is a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association with more than 6,000 healthcare professionals representing clinical, insurance, law and other related professions. ASHRM promotes effective and innovative risk management strategies and professional leadership through education, recognition, advocacy, publications, networking and interactions with leading health care organizations and government agencies. ASHRM initiatives focus on developing and implementing safe and effective patient care practices, the preservation of financial resources and the maintenance of safe working environments.