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June 10, 2008 NEWSLETTER
Doug Wojcieszak, Founder & Spokesperson
Contact phone/e-mail address: 618-559-8168; doug@sorryworks.net
THIS WEEK'S EDITION:
- Sorry Works! Editorial: Disclosure NOT a one-time deal
- Still time to order Sorry Works! Book for Risk Management Week (June 16-20)
- Column on Risk Retention Groups from Jim Saxton
- Managing Mistakes Article/Great Story about "Classic Coke" Mistake
SORRY WORKS! EDITORIAL: DISCLOSURE NOT A ONE-TIME DEAL
At Sorry Works! we often hear the following from befuddled physicians and nurses: "Well, we talked to the patient or family, told them how bad we felt, and we assumed they were OK with everything because we never heard from them again, and, wham, a day before the statutes run out I'm hit with this lawsuit. What happened?!?"
Disclosure - like good customer service - is not a one-time deal. You don't have one communication event and close the case and assume everything is OK. No, you have to keep reaching out to the patient/family for weeks and maybe even months. This is the relationship business you're in, and with disclosure doing too much is usually not a problem. Patients and families want to know they are being taken seriously when something goes wrong. Keep that relationship alive and strong because the patient/family will have plenty of friends and family whispering in their ear: "That doctor did what to you? Oh, I have a GREAT attorney you need to call...here's his card!"
You need to keep communicating and reaching out. Hopefully, your disclosure program has also communicated and reached out to the local trial bar so that in those instances when you lose a relationship with a patient/family the trial lawyer understands your program - and will call you to discuss before filing a lawsuit.
The doubter may say all of this "communication" is going to take a lot of time. Yes, it does take time, but much less time than litigation, and, also, you will have a decent shot at keeping your patients and their families (and their friends) as customers.
STILL TIME TO ORDER SORRY WORKS! BOOK FOR RISK MANAGEMENT WEEK (JUNE 16-20)
Risk Management Week - June 16-20 - is fast approaching and what gifts and promotional items will you be giving away? Your staff probably has enough coffee mugs, t-shirts, and mouse pads. Try giving the book that will make a lasting impact on the career of your risk managers. Disclosure and apology is the new front in risk management...many risk managers want to implement disclosure and apology programs, but they don't know how to do it. The Sorry Works! Book is the how-to manual on disclosure and apology. Everything from explaining the important difference between empathy and apology to establishing a disclosure program to handling the doubters in your organization...it's all covered in the Sorry Works! Book. Here's the best part: The Sorry Works! Book only costs $21.95 per copy. Most medical, risk, and legal texts cost a small (or large) fortune - but not the Sorry Works! Book. You can put the book on your credit card or be invoiced, whatever is most convenient for you. And bulk discounts are available for large purchases.
Already the Michigan, Kentucky, and Northern New England ASHRM chapters have purchased copies of the book for all of their members. Purchase your copy today by visiting this link: http://www.sorryworks.net/booksoon.phtml . To inquire about bulk discounts, please contact Sorry Works! Founder Doug Wojcieszak at 618-559-8168 or e-mail doug@sorryworks.net.
COLUMN ON RISK RETENTION GROUPS FROM JIM SAXTON
At Sorry Works! we often encourage independent physicians to communicate their desire for Sorry Works! to their insurance companies. We tell them they will often find a receptive ear because insurers themselves are interested in disclosure - and all they need is a few good docs to get a disclosure program started! However, there are - unfortunately - some insurers still in the dark ages of deny and defend. What should docs covered by these companies do? Easy answer: Shop for new insurance. Another answer is to explore the possibility of starting your own risk retention group. Today we share a Q&A column from Sorry Works! co-author Jim Saxton on risk retention groups. Enjoy and please share with colleagues. An RRG might be the answer for you!
Dear Jim:
A number of physicians have approached our hospital because they are trying to put together a risk retention group and wanted to first confirm that the hospital will be willing to accept their insurance coverage. Physicians are frustrated with the present carriers in our state, and I have to tell you, I agree. The premiums continue to rise.
What is most concerning to me is that physicians do not get help in trying to reduce their own risk, and I even question the help they get when a lawsuit is initiated. However, I want to make sure that they find a stable insurance home. What issues should I discuss with them?
Kendra Gordon
Risk Manager
Appleton, WI
Dear Kendra:
Physicians seeking alternative insurance markets is more than a trend, even though premiums in many states have leveled off or decreased. They are simply disappointed in the service they receive from their present carriers. In the last hard market, we had physicians tell us that their insurance carriers dropped them or increased their premiums significantly even if they did not have any claims.
In some cases, insurance carriers told physicians that certain procedures could not be performed in their practice, or the physicians were advised to simply settle a claim because it would be less expensive. What the carriers did not realize was the profound effect this has on the physician and the consequences down the road.
There is a level of warranted dissatisfaction. Of course, there are many stable insurance carriers that maintain very high customer satisfaction, but that is not always the case. And certainly in the last five years we have seen tremendous inroads into these alternative markets.
Due diligence on this issue is imperative. Risk retention groups do collaborate with hospitals. Your efforts should focus on education, training programs, and event management, which embrace communication in both hospital and private practice offices.
Ask about financial stability. Look at the balance sheet and the business plan and ask about their service provider partners. Are they experienced? Do they have a track record? Who are the physician founders and what is their goal?
Remember to also get below the surface and ask questions that are going to really make a difference to you. What is the risk retention group's philosophy? What is their risk management infrastructure? How are they going to help ensure compliance? How will they collaborate with you and the hospital? Is there a contact person you can speak with?
It is time that we begin to look at risk reduction activities a little differently. There is no real doubt in anyone's mind that the approach has to be a joint one between the physician and the hospital. When the two work together, you get the best results.
Sincerely,
James W. Saxton, Esq.
Stevens& Lee
Lancaster, PA
P.S.
Have questions?
Send them to: jws@stevenslee.com
MANAGING MISTAKES ARTICLE/GREAT STORY ABOUT "CLASSIC COKE" MISTAKE
Here's a great article on managing mistakes from Career Builder.com that echoes many of the messages we regularly preach in Sorry Works! Great story about Classic Coke in here too...good read. Please share with colleagues and friends:
Five Tips for Managing Your Mistakes
As a leader, you are bound to make mistakes. It is human nature to want to forget about, cover up, or blame someone or something else for them happening. But the most effective leader is one who not only manages them, but turns mistakes into opportunities for furthering your vision. This article continues our Leadership Development Series, focusing on Five Tips for Managing Your Mistakes.
Esteemed English writer Alexander Pope etched the phrase "To err is human" into everyday vernacular because everyone, from the mailroom to the boardroom, knows that nobody is perfect. While that is easy to accept, it is difficult to admit.
As a leader, you want people to view you as being capable for your position, and mistakes can threaten that image—especially the big ones. But protecting the image of always being right can be the biggest leadership mistake to make.
In his book Failing Forward, John Maxwell looks at making mistakes in a positive light if they are handled in the right manner. He writes, "In life, the question is not if you will have problems, but how you are going to deal with your problems. Are you going to fail forward or backward?" As long as you do not land on your back and stay there, progress is being made.
The concept of failing forward is that you may stumble with your mistakes, but as long as you do not land on your back and stay there, progress is being made. You can use errors to the benefit of your leadership role, your team and your overall vision by taking appropriate actions afterward.
Own Up
The initial response of making a mistake is to cover it up, or blame someone or some other outside factor. But those actions almost always magnify the mistake long-term. In 1985, the Coca-Cola Company did away with its original, famous soft drink formula, replacing it with one called New Coke. There was an immediate outcry - even outrage - from consumers with the move.
Instead of pointing fingers at rivals or market conditions regarding the fiasco, Coca-Cola admitted they neglected to consider the emotional attachment to the original drink, and employed a simple strategy to correct it. Sergio Zyman, a key player in the new brand, explained the process to Forbes magazine: "Ate a big slice of humble pie and brought Classic back 77 days later." It takes courage to admit to those you are leading that you were wrong, but it is the first and most important step for moving back in a positive direction.
React and Repair Together
Once you realize and admit a mistake has been made do not let it worsen.
Once you realize and admit a mistake has been made do not let it worsen. Brainstorm with your team on how to correct the problem as quickly as possible. It can be disheartening to have someone you are leading offer the solution for the issue you might have caused, but if it protects your vision, it will be an easier pill to swallow.
Do not lose sight of the fact that you assembled a team because you could not achieve your vision alone. Fixing your mistake with the help of others will quickly get you back towards realizing it.
Learn/Educate,/b>
"Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way...unless it is a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from," observes satirist Al Franken.
As the leader, communicate what oversights and miscalculations led you to the mistake, and discuss with your team what new information was gleaned and can be applied to upcoming strategy-making and challenges. No matter who made the mistake, everyone should learn a valuable lesson from it.
Keep Perspective
Keep the mistake in perspective and your eye on the big picture. Keep the mistake in perspective and your eye on the big picture. Just because the mistake, at the time, seems catastrophic, it does not necessarily mean the end is near. It is just another step in the process of reaching your goal. In fact, it may even spurn new ideas that would not have been realized otherwise.
Do not aim for perfection with your team, but instead aim for making progress with both right and wrong actions. As renowned ad man Leo Burnett once said, "To swear off making mistakes is very easy. All you have to do is to swear off having ideas."
Move On Fearlessly
As you get past your mistake, do not move forward with a sense of fear for making another one. Management expert Peter Drucker explains, "The better a man is, the more mistakes he will make, for the more new things he will try." Communicate that philosophy so that there is no hesitation in your teams efforts for fear of making more errors. That way, when future mistakes do occur, they will be kept in a positive light rather than a burden that weighs everyone down.
To see the book's Foreword, Table of Contents, and Author Biographies, click on this link: http://www. sorryworks.net/pdf/SorryWorksForeword.pdf. To see additional information on the book, visit this link: http://www.sorryworks.net/booksoon.phtml
To purchase the perfect Doctor's Day Gift call today at 618-559-8168 or e-mail doug@sorryworks.net to get your copy of the Sorry Works! Book. Thank you!
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