Risk Management in Long Term Care

Within the culture of the St. John Health System (SJHS), risk management is considered the responsibility of every SJHS associate, from the CEO to the maintenance man. Each associate has an obligation to perform their jobs safely and to eliminate or at least minimize the risk of harm to any resident, visitor, or employee. The collection and utilization of data is also essential to a successful risk management program. Effective risk managers recognize the importance of data which may be used to identify residents at risk for falls, wounds, and infections for instance. When carefully collected and analyzed, this information may help the LTC manager identify at risk residents and target the resources needed to address their issues. Sources of data include the minimum data set (MDS) that provides information about residents resulting from multidisciplinary assessments. This information is also used for Medicare reimbursement, standards that identify the facility’s quality of care, and for state

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