Webinar:
Preventing allegations of abuse — safeguarding your organization and community
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Why watch the replay of this webinar?
An allegation of abuse made by a resident or patient against a care team member can be frightening, unsettling, and disruptive for the person making the allegation, the care team member, and the organization.
In addition, such an allegation of abuse can create the perfect storm, resulting in a regulatory finding, criminal actions, and possibly a civil suit. The organization may be found negligent when they do not ensure that a plan for preventing or responding to abuse allegations is in place. In addition, hiring practices and staff training may come into question and result in additional abuse exposures.
This presentation aims to offer support and guidance to risk management professionals by identifying clear steps that ensure for a thorough and credible investigation if an allegation of abuse is made against staff or providers by a resident, patient, or a family member. We will describe the legal reasons to report inappropriate physical interaction, abuse, and neglect by staff members and break down insurance implications and policy language with coverage considerations.
The webinar has been approved by ASHRM for 1.0 contact hour of Continuing Education (CE) Credit toward the requirements of the ASHRM designations of FASHRM (Fellow) and DFASHRM (Distinguished Fellow), and CPHRM renewal. CEs are awarded after the successful completion of an online evaluation form (link provided after the webinar). Attendees must provide their name and email address for CE certificates.
About the moderator
Kathy Shostek is a healthcare loss control expert for Munich Re Specialty Insurance. With over 25 years of experience, she is an industry-recognized healthcare professional specializing in risk reduction techniques and innovative approaches to improve patient safety and reduce liability risks.
Kathy’s extensive experience includes leadership at the acute care level and a corporate multispecialty physician group practice. She has worked with national risk and safety consultancies and healthcare liability insurance companies, assisting health systems, hospitals, aging services, and physician practices in implementing risk management strategies and patient safety programs. Kathy is a past clinical risk consultant and developer for ECRI’s Healthcare Risk, Quality, and Safety Guidance System and publications, including Physician Office Fundamentals and Critical Care Safety Essentials.
Kathy co-authored a chapter in ASHRM’s Risk Management Handbook for Healthcare Organizations, 5th edition. She is a past board member of ASHRM, Section Lead for ASHRM’s Patient Safety Playbook, past chair and member of ASHRM’s Patient Safety Task Force, and section lead for the FMEA Playbook. ASHRM awarded Kathy the Distinguished Service Award in 2018 for her career contributions to healthcare risk management and patient safety.
About the guests
Rhonda DeMeno has over 30 years of extensive senior living experience as a healthcare risk manager, regulatory compliance expert, and operations leader. She has also served as an operational leader in acute care, home health, hospice, and managed care provider settings.
Rhonda has authored many professional industry communications and is a frequent speaker at industry events focusing on infection control, regulatory compliance, and disaster response and preparedness.
Rhonda is currently the director of clinical risk for senior living at WTW. Her responsibilities include providing support and resources to senior living clients, and to assist in risk-reduction methods to improve safety and operational performance outcomes.
Joan Porcaro joined WTW in 2022, after serving as a risk management and patient relations professional at a system director level role for various healthcare organizations. Joan is currently serving as director — client relationship management. Her responsibilities include providing support and resources to healthcare clients to assist them in better managing and reducing their risks.
Joan has over 30 years of extensive experience as a health system risk management and patient relations professional. Prior to her work in risk management, she served as an operational leader in acute care, home health, hospice, and physician practice settings.
Joan has served on several committees as leader and member for the national professional risk management organization — American Society of Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) — and has served as an ASHRM state chapter board member. She is a frequent author and speaker for many industry communications and events.
