Elements of a risk management program - Term Paper Example

The American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) established in1980, responded to the probing risk management interest. With time other entities such as those of ambulatory care, long-term care began to implement risk management program since they realized its value (ASHRM, 2009). This paper will analyze ways of presenting a healthcare risk management program to new employees especially, evaluate its acceptance and compliance and suggest recommendations on the same. It will also examine the administration process of management of the program with ASHRM as the case study.

Since the world is dynamic, risks also change with passing time, so does the management of risks. Youngberg (1998) holds that with the changing nature of risk management, effective communication lies in the centrality of risk management program. Thus, lines of communication must be open for a successful risk management program. There should be open lines of communication between staff, employees and the team of healthcare professionals as a whole: nursing staff, ancillary staff, administration and medical staff.

Education is a very vital element in risk management program of a health care organization. New employees who may not be familiar with the organization’s policies, risk management measures and ways of addressing them would be of dire need of this education more than other employees. However, this does not mean that the rest of the organization’s staff would be cut off. Before the presentation, the risk manager should create a checklist for the program’s objectives; that is what the educator would want the attendee to gain from the program.

Another checklist to remind the educator of the administrative issues related to the program should also be established. The risk manager or educator should then hold a mandatory formal meeting that would include both new and other employees of the healthcare organization. The educator’s credibility is essential for