Purpose:
To provide guidance to accomplish the overall U. T. System goals
for providing quality patient care and minimizing risk of loss
Date Approved:
February
13, 1992
Background:
In
response to a recommendation made by the Advisory Committee to the Self-Insured
Medical Liability Plan, a Task Force composed of representatives of each
U. T. System health component was established to develop a healthcare
quality and risk management program for the U. T. System. The Task Force was assisted by Jardine
HealthCare Services, a nationally known consulting firm. Every health component's risk management
program was reviewed and strengths and weaknesses were identified. The Task Force met several times and drafted
policies to provide guidance for all the health components to accomplish the
overall U. T. System goals for providing quality patient care and
minimizing risk of loss and to allow for flexibility to meet the unique needs
of each institution. The Task Force
recommended that the U. T. System adopt the following:
• a
Regental policy statement on healthcare risk management
• implementation
guidelines for quality and risk management
• the
establishment of a U. T. System Office of Healthcare Quality and Risk
Management
• guidelines
for professional liability/risk management committees
• a policy
statement on risk management educational programs.
The
Task Force's final report was presented and enthusiastically received at the
December 3, 1991 meeting of the U. T. Self-Insured Medical Liability
Plan Advisory Committee. The Board of
Regents approved the following policy at the February 13, 1992 meeting:
It is the policy of the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System that all risks of loss be minimized by risk management and prevention programs, including risks associated with the provision of healthcare. The Board reaffirms the commitment of the University and all of its health components to establish and maintain programs whose purpose is to promote the quality of care provided to patients. Wherever possible, the focus of these programs is to prevent loss or injury through:
• striving
for quality in all aspects of patient care
• education
of all levels of staff and employees
• providing
basic elements for each component's quality and risk management program
• monitoring
of activities resulting in loss of time, equipment and resources
• compliance
with federal, state and local codes, rules and regulations
• coordination
and integration of programs in risk management and in quality improvement
• timely
reporting of quality issues and adverse occurrences within component
organizations and from components to U. T. System Administration.
By this policy, each component is hereby delegated the operational responsibility to implement a health risk management and risk prevention program which will reflect the principles stated above.
Additionally, each program should reflect the principle that an effective risk management program is the responsibility of all levels of management and all personnel.
"Risk management/risk prevention" as used in this policy statement includes programs dealing with medical liability and quality management.
Last reviewed September 2000