Facility e-Newsletter Header
A publication produced by COPIC
Facility Patient Safety & Risk Management
"We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have these because we have acted rightly."
 
----Will Durant, 
Historian
Medical Trivia Question
Q: The space between your nostrils is called what?

Answer is located at the bottom of this column. 
In This Issue
COPIC Quick Links
FAQs of COPIC
The Tipping Point of Sexual Harassment
The Importance of Early Incident Reporting
Guidance on HB 17-1284
Save the Date: 2019
Legislative Updates
COPIC Points Program for Facilities
Value-added Resources
Regulatory News
Infection Control Resources
News and Tools
Contact Us
 

Upcoming Educational Conferences
Colorado
Colorado Hospital Assn. Rural Health Conference
March 6-8, 2019
Denver West Marriott
Golden, CO

Colorado Rural Health Clinics Forum
April 3-5, 2019
Sheraton Denver West
Lakewood, CO 

Nebraska
Nebraska Rural Health Annual Conference
April 24-25, 2019
Younes Conference Center
Kearney, NE

COPIC Symposium
April 25-26, 2019
Embassy Suites
Lincoln, NE  

man_in_seminar
COPIC Quick Links




Facility Loss Run
Please contact
Johnathan Leopold at
(720) 858-6171 for questions regarding loss runs.


Username/Password
Contact Charesse Hansen  at (720) 858-6127  for COPIC username and password assistance.
 
Medical Trivia Answer
Q: The space between your nostrils is called what?

A: A columella.

COPIC Logo
 January 2019
Frequently Asked Questions of COPIC
COPIC fields thousands of risk management questions a year. Below is a recent question and answer. As always, please call COPIC with any question you may have.

Q: 
Is an ambulatory surgery center in Colorado required to respond to a non-patient (ex. family member in waiting room) cardiac event or other to their fullest capacity (including BCLS/ACLS), or is it sufficient to call 911? And are staff members covered by a Good Samaritan law for initiating a partial and/or full response? 

A:  There are no EMTALA-type obligations in this situation because the EMTALA screening/stabilizing requirement only applies to Medicare participating hospitals that have an emergency department. The relevant Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) regulation only requires that an ambulatory surgical center have policies and procedures which provide for adequate care of its patients in the event of an emergency. There is no general legal duty for health care providers to provide care to those with a medical emergency. The Good Samaritan laws are written to encourage health care professionals to render aid by providing qualified immunity from liability. Colorado's Good Samaritan law applies when physicians and others render emergency care or assistance without compensation to a person who is not presently their patient at the place of an emergency or accident, including at a health care institution. A person is not liable for civil damages unless the acts or omissions were grossly negligent or wilfull and wanton. 
COPIC Tip: The Tipping Point of Sexual Harassment
With the #MeToo movement and media coverage surrounding Bill O'Reilly, Harvey Weinstein, and others, the issue of sexual harassment is at the forefront of professional and personal discussions. During the last year, COPIC's HR Hotline, a resource that insureds can call for advice on HR-related issues, has seen an uptick in questions about sexual harassment allegations in medical practices. Read this COPISCOPE excerpt to learn the common themes and lessons from those calls.
The Importance of Early Incident Reporting
Why report early? 
  • All incident reports are reviewed by a Claims Consultant and consideration is made on how to best handle the occurrence. If further assistance is needed, the proper steps are initiated, including potential options for resolution prior to a formal claim being filed. 
  • Your report triggers/verifies coverage. 
  • Resources like peer support can be initiated to assist an insured with the impact of an unanticipated outcome. 
  • An attorney can be assigned to assist and ensure objections are preserved and peer/professional review and quality review privileges are invoked. 

Value-added services: Covered Proceedings 

  • This coverage encompasses medical board complaints, nursing board complaints, HIPAA, Office of Civil Rights, staff privileges, EMTALA, and other liability matters. Please report these matters to COPIC, so we can provide timely assistance for qualifying events. 

Please contact Brittnie Hayes, COPIC Claims Supervisor, at (720) 858-6143 with any questions regarding reporting or covered proceedings.

New Colorado Law: Guidance on HB 17-1284, Data System Check for Employees Serving At-Risk Adults
House Bill (HB) 17-1284 requires all licensed health care facilities to conduct a check of the Colorado Adult Protective Services (CAPS) database for all prospective employees working directly with at-risk adults. The results of the check will notify an employer whether there is a substantiated report of adult abuse or neglect for a prospective employee prior to hiring. The final rule was adopted by the board in June 2018.

Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) has created the CAPS Check Unit (CCU) to conduct the CAPS checks. The CDHS has also developed new guidance for health care facilities as well as a CCU website. CDHS is updating the website with information about how to register as an employer, request the checks, and other guidance. The Colorado Hospital Association is also developing guidance on HB 17-1284 to ensure members are compliant by the Jan. 1, 2019 implementation date.

Save the Date: 2019 Patient Safety & Risk Management Conferences
Thank you to the 127 attendees at the 2018 Forum! It was a pleasure to learn beside you and host such an engaging event.

Save the date for the 2019 Symposium 
(formerly known as the Nebraska Symposium):
 
April 25-26, 2019
Embassy Suites
Lincoln, Nebraska


Save the date for the 2019 Forum:  
October 2-4, 2019
Brown Palace Hotel
Denver, Colorado

Facility primary contacts will receive registration information
via email. Contact Charesse Hansen at (720) 858-6127
with questions or for more information.  
Legislative Updates
COPIC has long believed that taking an active role in advocating on legislative issues is an important way to maintain stability for access to quality care. That is why we continuously monitor legislation that may impact health care.
 
Federal:
We reported on the status of the The Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act (H.R. 1876) and t he Protecting Access to Care Act (H.R. 1215) in our previous newsletter. Neither bill advanced in the final months of the legislative session. 

Colorado and Nebraska:
The Colorado 2019 Legislative Session convened on January 4, 2019. The Nebraska Unicameral convened on January 9, 2019. Read our full update to learn more about upcoming deadlines to be aware of that were established from recently enacted laws pertaining to the following:
  • Transparency (CO)
  • Background Checks (CO)
  • Professional Review (CO)
  • HIV Testing Requirement (NE)
  • Prescribing (NE)
  • Surrogacy (NE)
COPIC will continue to keep you aware of specific legislative priorities involving health care and alert you so you can be informed and involved.
NEW Online Education
We're excited to introduce a new on-demand course specifically for facility staff:
 
The new course provides a general overview of our Hospital Professional Liability (HPL) policy and highlights the benefits and services you receive as a COPIC insured. Please contact Charesse Hansen with any questions.
COPIC Points Program for Facilities
Earn COPIC Points and reduce your COPIC insurance premium. Facilities insured under our facility policy form are eligible to participate in the COPIC Points Program for Facilities.  Click here for additional information .

To earn COPIC points through a facility assessment, orientation visit, or seminar, please contact us with potential dates and schedule a visit before the calendar fills up.
 The cutoff date to schedule a service for 2019 is November 5th. Additionally, no visits will be scheduled after December 15th. 
Contact
Laura Dixon  at
(720) 858-6126 with questions. 
COPIC Value-Added Resources
COPIC is Now ANCC Accredited 
COPIC is authorized to present and award
CNE credits for nursing staff in-person education programs. Contact Laura Dixon at
(720) 858-6126 for more information.

COPIC Peer Review Network (CPRN)

Connects Colorado facilities with providers who can serve as a resource for performing external professional review services. Additional details are available on our website. (Login with username and password is required to access this information.) Contact Charesse Hansen at (720) 858-6127 for login assistance.

Complimentary Human Resource (HR) Hotline 
The HR Hotline connects you with our experts who can help resolve employment-related issues. In addition, we can identify outside resources to handle complex employment law situations. 
(844) 208-4680
Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5:00pm (MST)

Education for Physicians 
and F acilities
We provide in-person and on-demand courses to earn CME credit and COPIC points. See our education catalog for a list of seminars available to schedule at your facility.
Regulatory News
Infection Control Resources 
News and Tools
Thank you for your commitment to patient safety and improving the practice of medicine. Always feel free to contact COPIC with any questions you may have about Patient Safety and Risk Management services.
  
Sincerely,

Laura Dixon, BS, JD, RN, CPHRM

Director, Patient Safety and Risk Management, Facilities and Operations

Phone: 720-858-6000//Toll Free: 800-421-1834