Rapid Response

Rapid Response Program (RRP)

The Rapid Response Program (RRP) is a unique component of Med-Net Healthcare Consulting’s Program. Med-Net’s Rapid Response Program offers your organization (Client) a real-time triage to address critical events and constitutes a good faith effort to minimize and mitigate risk to residents, employees, their families, the facility, and the community. Our goal is to support the client, through the facilitation of client’s program, in its effort to address potential critical risk exposures (Critical Events). Rapid Response© Program goals include:

Ensure that the Rapid Response© Committee is conducted in conjunction with the facility’s Compliance and Ethics, Risk Management, Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (“QAPI”) Programs

Ensure that a well-thought-out and consistent determination is made by the Rapid Response© Committee as to whether or not a Critical Event is appropriate to report to the State Reporting/Regulatory Agency

Ensure formal documentation of good faith effort by the facility to minimize and mitigate risk to residents, employees, the facility, and the community

Ensure development and execution of an appropriate Performance Improvement Plan (“PIP”) including, but not limited to, root cause analysis, audit and education, as well as ongoing direction,review, and follow up as needed by the Rapid Response© Committee

Ensure every Critical Event’s PIP is forwarded to the facility’s QAPI Committee for systematic review and analysis and to ensure appropriate follow-up documentation exists

Ensure minimization of risk and mitigation of damages involving potential and actual lawsuits against the facility by residents and employees

Ensure maximal use of the QAPI privilege to minimize potential adverse disclosure to third parties

Ensure maximal use of the attorney-client privilege to minimize potential adverse disclosure to third parties

Reduce insurance premiums based upon the comprehensive approach to detecting, preventing and minimizing potential liability, and mitigating and controlling damages

Critical Events

Critical Events are high-risk situations or occurrences that may have resulted in, or are likely to result in, serious injury, harm, impairment, or death to a resident, employee, third party, or the community at large; serious damage to facility property or reputation; increased significant potential for litigation; increased significant potential for regulatory noncompliance; increased significant potential for risk exposure; and/or increased potential for adverse media coverage. In essence, a Critical Event is anything you would not want to read about your facility in tomorrow’s news reports.

All Critical Events require timely notice to the Rapid Response© Committee, which determines the need for a Rapid Response© conference call including, but not limited to, the following:

Resident, family, personal representative, or third-party allegation of any abuse or neglect, and/or misappropriation of significant property

Any breach of resident’s protected health information

Elopement

Any violent behavior or threats

Emergency of any nature with potential/actual serious consequences

Fall with serious injury

Unexpected death

Burn or other serious trauma

Serious injury related to use of restraints or side rails

Medication error requiring resident to be monitored for a period of 24 or more hours

Drug diversion

Resident-Employee or Resident-Resident altercation potentially or actually resulting in serious harm

Suicide attempt or suicide completion

Fire or smoke inhalation

Reasonable suspicion of a serious crime including, but not limited to, sexual assault

Drowning or choking with serious injury

Serious injury of unknown origin

Heat stroke or heat exhaustion

Discovery of a facility-acquired advanced-stage pressure ulcer (Stage III or Stage IV)

Failure to follow advance directives

Facility significant risk exposure

Any actual/potential reportable to State Reporting/Regulatory Agency

Post-suspension of employment

Pre-termination of employment

Miscellaneous-related Critical Events

Local, state, and/or federal authority involvement

Any Lost Time Occupational Injury/WC claim

Any Light/Transitional Duty for Occupational Injury/WC claim more than 90 days

The Rapid Response© Committee will convene to conduct a Rapid Response© conference call when certain CriticalEvents occur. Members will include the following:

Regional Director of Operations (or equivalent)

Regional Director of Clinical Operations (or equivalent)

Corporate Compliance/Regulatory Attorney

Med-Net Risk Management Healthcare Specialistsl

Facility Administrator

Facility Director of Nursing

Additional Facility Personnel as needed

Educate Director of Nursing and other appropriate personnel on the Rapid Response© process, including list of Critical Events and how to request a Rapid Response© conference call

Provide Director of Nursing and other appropriate personnel with email distribution group information