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O R E X C E L L E N C E. C O M S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J U N E 2 0 1 4
Y
ou'll never be able to eliminate all
adverse outcomes in surgical facili-
ties, but you can learn a lot from the
painful experiences of others. Case
histories and claim-loss data show
clearly how you can dramatically reduce the num-
ber of adverse events, and how practicing risk-man-
agement strategies can help you defend yourself
when they occur. Karen Wright, RN, BSN, ARM,
CPHRM, senior risk management consultant at
Mutual Insurance Company of Arizona, brings 40
years of experience to her invaluable presentation
"When Bad Things Happen in Good ORs: Case
Studies in OR Liability." We spoke to Ms. Wright
about the importance of risk management and
learning from others' mistakes.
• More than meets the eye. When I had the
opportunity to change my career path to hospital
risk management, I was thrilled. I thought I'd finally
learn how to prevent the errors that harm patients
and create lifelong nightmares for caregivers.
Unfortunately, the picture wasn't as black and white
as I had presumed. Instead, there were multiple
shades of gray.
K I C K E R
El i mi na t e t he Er r or s You C an ,
M a n a ge t he O ne s You C a n 't
History is a great guide for risk management.
Karen Wright, RN, BSN, ARM, CPHRM
where leaders meet, learn and grow together
Speaker Profile
• Senior risk man-
agement consult-
ant for the Mutual
Insurance
Company of
Arizona.
• Healthcare career
includes clinical
nursing (7 years
in PACU), profes-
sional liability
claim manage-
ment and risk
management.
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