Director of Risk Management

Director of Risk Management

The Director of Risk Management plays a critical leadership role in promoting, coordinating, and executing risk management strategies across the hospital. This role supports staff and employees in understanding and adhering to hospital policies, objectives, and reporting procedures to reduce risk and improve patient safety. The Director will access and evaluate a wide range of hospital and medical staff data—including committee minutes, medical records, and quality reports—to identify risks and ensure compliance with Joint Commission (JCAHO), CMS, State of Alaska, and other regulatory standards.

Key Responsibilities:

• Risk Management Oversight
• Maintain and oversee the Healthcare Peer Review Reporting System to ensure timely and accurate reporting of incidents and occurrences.
• Analyze trends and data to identify actual and potential risks, determining root causes and facilitating appropriate interventions.
• Refer incidents to relevant departments or medical committees; escalate Level III/IV occurrences to the Peer Review Committee.
• Conduct risk surveys and safety inspections in collaboration with the hospital's Environment of Care (EOC) Committee.
• Investigate product-related issues and coordinate appropriate responses, including record-keeping and reporting protocols.
• In cases of patient injury, work with Corporate Risk Management to determine defense strategy and appropriate legal actions.

• Risk Reduction & Prevention
• Collaborate with department leaders and medical staff to design and implement system changes that reduce risk and enhance patient safety.
• Develop and support risk-reduction and loss-prevention programs that positively impact clinical care.
• Work closely with the Patient Advocate to evaluate complaints with potential legal implications and recommend appropriate resolutions.
• Assess liability exposure, determine the likelihood of legal actions, and identify high-risk practices to inform preventive strategies.
• Serve as a key resource for addressing complex treatment issues such as informed consent, HIPAA violations, patient refusals, and discharges Against Medical Advice (AMA), in consultation with the Administrator, Corporate Legal Counsel, and Corporate Risk Management.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences, Healthcare Administration, or a related field.
• Experience: Minimum of four (4) years of experience in Quality and Risk Management, preferably in a psychiatric or behavioral health setting.
• Knowledge & Skills: Strong working knowledge of JCAHO standards, State of Alaska regulations, CMS guidelines, and other relevant federal/state compliance frameworks. Exceptional analytical, investigative, and problem-solving abilities. Ability to build strong working relationships with interdisciplinary teams and lead cross-functional initiatives. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to manage sensitive information with discretion and integrity.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certification in Risk Management (e.g., CPHRM)
• Experience working in a psychiatric or behavioral health facility

All UHS subsidiaries are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates. UHS subsidiaries are equal opportunity employers and as such, openly support and fully commit to recruitment, selection, placement, promotion and compensation of individuals without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), genetic information, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We believe that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success.