Amy Herum, a nurse and patient safety and risk manager with Copic, joins us to talk about the purpose and scope of EMTALA. Amy explains the situations that trigger EMTALA obligations and the definition and assessment of an “emergency medical condition.” The discussion then looks at the requirements and process of transferring a patient under EMTALA, the penalties and consequences of violating EMTALA, and the conditions that end EMTALA obligations such as when a medical screening exam shows no...

Our guest is Anna Barr, a patient safety and risk manager with Copic, who joins us to talk about terminating the provider-patient relationship. The discussion starts by looking at the main considerations before terminating a patient: trying to mend the relationship by using effective communication and conflict resolution skills, assessing the clinical situation, the risk of abandonment, the possibility of discrimination, and the contractual obligations that may apply. Anna then highlights key...

This episode features Renee Blattman, a nurse and risk manager with Copic, who has 20 years of experience in the perioperative environment. The discussion focuses on the challenges and risks in this environment—a high-paced, high-volume, and fast-turnover setting, where there is a lot of pressure to keep the patients moving and the OR schedule tight. Renee talks about the growth and trends in ambulatory surgery centers along with the increased risks of discharge and follow-up care, as...

In this episode, our guest is Heather Westermeyer, a Patient Safety and Risk Manager with COPIC, and the topic is documentation. Heather highlights the role documentation plays in continuity of care—from ensuring an accurate medical history to supporting communication among providers. She also talks about how documentation serves a key purpose in legal protection/defense in medical liability issues and the importance of articulating your thought process. In addition, the discussion touches on...

LaDonna Kelley, a nurse risk manager with COPIC, is the guest for this episode, which looks at patient safety and risk management for geriatric patients. LaDonna tells a personal story about the challenges with caring for this patient population and how certain situational factors impact their care experience. She mentions issues such as hearing limitations, technology, and mobility and being aware of these during interactions. The conversation also examines communication challenges and the...

In this episode, we talk with Carrie Beth Roddy, a COPIC Patient Safety and Risk Manager, who joins Dr. Zacharias for a conversation on Just Culture. Carrie starts with defining the concept of Just Culture, explaining how it is being integrated into traditional medical culture, and the importance of using it to create opportunities to prevent future medical errors. We dig into the difference between human and system errors, factors that contribute to Just Culture’s success, how it facilitates...

Anna Barr, a nurse risk manager with COPIC, joins us for this episode to talk about the benefits of using informed consent in your medical practice. Anna highlights how informed consent is a process (not just a form), the goals of shared decision making that guide this, and how it can be a tool to foster trust and understanding with patients. In addition, we look at what situations require informed consent and key considerations in how you approach the process. Anna also explains what...

This episode features COPIC Patient Safety and Risk Manager, Amanda Heinrichs, who discusses the importance of documentation—from sharing patient information with other medical team members to supporting care decisions. Amanda covers a wide breadth of documentation issues, such as limiting documentation to only facts about the case, moving past finger-pointing in the event of an undesirable outcome, and timely documentation to ensure quality of care. Furthermore, she talks about insights from...

COPIC Patient Safety and Risk Manager Cindy Walsh is our guest to set the record straight on medical records retention—giving us insight into ethical obligations, key considerations when referring patients or closing a practice, and the importance of having a clear records maintenance/retention policy. Furthermore, Cindy outlines how regular record audits and attention to state mandates now can prevent retention headaches in the future.

Dr. Susan Sgambati, a colorectal surgeon and medical director with COPIC, is our guest on this episode that looks at the increased use of semaglutide medications driven by the popularity of Ozempic being used for weight loss. The discussion focuses on liability and risk issues, including recently issued FDA warning letters surrounding the use of compounded forms of the medication. Dr. Sgambati talks about how the medication works, side effects, how to assess patients who are interested in...

Pamela Johnson—a nurse and Senior Manager of Practice Quality and Facilities Risk Management at COPIC—joins us for a discussion about data around patient falls in health care facilities. Pamela highlights the top three areas where falls occur in these settings and talks about top risk factors that contribute to these incidents. She also points to adjustments that can make an immediate preventative impact, such as proper lighting and pathways, the importance of environmental rounds, and...

Anna Barr, a nurse risk manager with COPIC, joins us for this episode to talk about the benefits of using informed consent in your medical practice. Anna highlights how informed consent is a process (not just a form), the goals of shared decision making that guide this, and how it can be a tool to foster trust and understanding with patients. In addition, we look at what situations require informed consent and key considerations in how you approach the process. Anna also explains what...

This episode is part of a special series that focuses on organizations that received grant funding from the COPIC Medical Foundation for initiatives that address the issue of reducing fragmentation across care settings. Dr. Zacharias welcomes back Jennifer Disabato, DNP, and William Anderson, MD, who are co-directors for the ImPACT Program and Navigation Hub, which focuses on care coordination for complex pediatric patients as they transition to adult care. Jennifer and Dr. Anderson talk...

This episode is part of a special series that focuses on organizations that received grant funding from the COPIC Medical Foundation for initiatives that address the issue of reducing fragmentation across care settings. Dr. Zacharias welcomes two staff members from West Mountain Regional Health Alliance—Christina Gair, Executive Director, and Namrata Shrestha, Assistant Director. Grant funding went toward a care coordination effort to support individuals experiencing homelessness with...

This episode is part of a special series that focuses on organizations that received grant funding from the COPIC Medical Foundation for initiatives that address the issue of reducing fragmentation across care settings. Dr. Zacharias welcomes Dr. Matthew Gonzales and Dr. Deborah Unger who are affiliated with a grant provided to the Providence Portland Medical Foundation. Grant funding supported Providence and the Oregon Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Registry for a...

This episode is part of a special series that focuses on organizations that received grant funding from the COPIC Medical Foundation for initiatives that address the issue of reducing fragmentation across care settings. Dr. Zacharias welcomes Tori Bahr, MD and Katie Stangl who are affiliated with a grant provided to the Minnesota Medical Association Foundation. Grant funding supported Project ECHO, which focuses on the challenge of transitioning youth with medical complexity to adult care in...

Documentation in medicine is no one’s favorite topic. In this episode, host Dr. Eric Zacharias aims to simplify guidance surrounding “what” and “how much” is needed for patient safety and risk management purposes. What follows is not “hard” science, but rather a discussion of basic criteria—and what's realistic and reasonable outside of policy rules and guidelines.

In this episode, we are joined by David Weill, MD, a transplant doctor and author of Exhale: Hope, Healing, and a Life in Transplant. Dr. Weill shares openly about losing and saving patients, dysfunctional teams and systems, and burnout in transplant medicine. Through the lens of his own emotional and physical exhaustion, he explores the underbelly of hospital systems and the clinical, administrative, and financial issues plaguing the specialty. He is an advocate of shifting the blame of...

We continue the conversation about artificial intelligence (AI) in this second episode of a two-part series. Our guest is Dr. Michael Victoroff, a family medicine physician, patient safety and risk management specialist, and clinical informatics expert. Dr. Victoroff uses image interpretation in radiology as an example of AI because it sees things humans miss and humans see things AI misses. We look at other AI applications—support for diagnosing and creating a treatment plan, concerns with...

In this two-part series, we look at the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and examine the potential ways it may impact medicine. Our guest is Dr. Michael Victoroff, a family medicine physician, patient safety and risk management specialist, and clinical informatics expert who has gone down the rabbit hole of trying to understand the good, the bad, and the ugly of AI. Dr. Victoroff explains the fundamental technology behind AI applications, such as ChatGPT, and its interactive structure...

In this episode, we look at a major challenge in obstetrics (OB) care with our guest, Lori Adams, who is a nurse, COPIC risk manager, and OB expert. Lori talks about her experience in a rural hospital and educating providers. The discussion focuses on “maternity care deserts” where access to OB services is limited or not available. Lori highlights how these deserts contribute to maternal death rates, the disparities we are seeing in certain geographic and demographic areas, and how emergency...

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Shanta Zimmer, associate dean for diversity and inclusion at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Zimmer talks about how the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted racial disparities and health care inequities in severity of illness and the role the health care system ultimately plays in systemically-addressing social determinants of health. She also speaks on how the university is working toward inclusive excellence and removing barriers that...

In this episode, we’re joined by surgeon and COPIC risk manager, Dr. Jeff Varnell. Starting with the premise that, like driving, the practice of medicine is governed by systemic rules and dependent on individual responsibility, Dr. Varnell uses metaphors and general understandings we hold about driving to illustrate how adverse events in medicine are often avoidable and preventable, like many of our road-based accidents. He invites listeners to examine through a lens of personal...

With 28 million Americans at risk for limb loss due to trauma, tumors, or infections, the nonprofit Limb Preservation Foundation is enhancing the quality of life of people in the Rocky Mountain region. Executive Director Marcy Rubik joins us to talk about how health care professionals from all backgrounds have joined this effort to offset financial stressors, provide education, and advance research.