BETA Healthcare Group's Risk Management Programs Have Improved Patient Safety for Many California Hospitals and Medical Groups

ALAMO, Calif., March 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BETA Healthcare Group (BETA), the largest provider of hospital professional liability coverage in California, is committed to working with members to deliver exceptional care with the highest level of patient safety. "BETA understands that providing support and education to healthcare providers is really proactive risk management, which leads to a reduced frequency of claims. Our approach to risk management is a win-win for our member hospitals, physicians, healthcare teams, and, most important, for their patients," said Annie Herlik, RN, JD, CPHRM, Vice President of Risk Management at BETA.

BETA's suite of risk management programs and services includes two initiatives (OB and ED) offering continued education courses to meet specific goals, OB monthly webinars, one-on-one risk consultation, clinical risk assessments, custom learning programs, education funds, monthly publications, a DVD lending library, a peer review network, an online listserv for members to share best practices, and yearly symposiums featuring nationally recognized speakers.

This wide array of risk management offerings has yielded positive results. For example, BETA's Quest for Zero initiatives in ED and OB have been very successful. The ED initiative now encompasses the participation of 50 hospitals and medical groups and has recorded the completion of 5,173 courses and 11,794 hours of continuing education by individuals taking part. Judy LaVoie, Director of Women and Children Service, Natividad Medical Center said of the OB initiative, "BETA has provided the staff with advanced education to better prepare for situations where we must act rapidly. The environment has become one of high skill, fostering the confidence to act quickly in an emergency and engage respectfully in conversations with our peers and physicians."

BETA's on-site risk assessment reviews provide an invaluable resource for developing and implementing better loss-control programs. According to Linda K. Sanfilippo, Risk Manager, Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, "The analysis and education opportunities help our team identify communication issues and potential flaws in the hospital's current programs, and give us a reporting system that has been instrumental in increasing patient safety, which, in turn makes us a better hospital."

Another positive outcome is the Emmi Solution/BETA partnership. BETA piloted a program of six member hospitals that use interactive multimedia technology, empowering patients to take a more active and informed role in their healthcare.  Patients who participated in the study increased their sense of preparedness and level of comfort in a variety of healthcare situations, including hospital and doctor's visits, surgeries, recovery, and the management of their health conditions. Deborah Austin, Director, Patient Relations & Accreditation, John Muir Medical Center noted that "Operationally, this partnership between BETA and Emmi has helped John Muir validate the need for increased 'pre-procedural' education. This partnership supports our brand promise (We listen. We explain.) in improving patient satisfaction. The more we provide explanations, the better prepared and more satisfied the patient is. It's all about managing expectations." 

About BETA Healthcare Group

BETA Healthcare Group provides healthcare professional liability coverage to more than 100 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 70 medical groups. Whether its 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 www.betahg.com.

For further information:

http://www.betahg.com/index.asp

http://www.betahg.com/services/rm_bkgd.asp

http://www.betahg.com/services/rm_s_onsite.asp

http://www.betahg.com/resources/n_press_011012.asp

http://www.betahg.com/about/members.asp

http://www.betahg.com/about/st_bc_control.asp

SOURCE BETA Healthcare Group