Share This Now With Your Hospital Administrator and Risk Manager

A recent issue of Modern Healthcare, the weekly health news magazine that virtually all hospital administrators read, recently published an article on new strategies for dealing with patients and families after medical error (“Going beyond saying you’re sorry: More hospitals using quick remediation strategies following medical error”, March 28, 2011, pp. 32-33).


The article highlights a program at the University of Michigan Health System which replaces the traditional approach run by the hospital attorneys to an approach based on transparency and “remediation” which generally seems to involve a quick payment offer or at least not changing the patient for the procedure which resulted in the error.

This approach is clearly a big step forward in compassionate patient care and did reduce the lawsuits at this hospital.

However, something is missing.

It overlooks the potential contribution of the chaplain.

Many of us who are professional chaplains have long claimed that we can help reduce hospital lawsuits, though of course we cannot prove it. The lack of evidence notwithstanding, this article which many hospital administrators and risk managers will read, gives chaplains an opportunity to remind their management how they could make any program of this kind even better.

Chaplains are not there to defend the hospital or make any offers, but to help patients and families express and process the sometimes intense feelings that these events evoke and be a caring presence. Often it can be the unique expertise of the chaplain that reduces conflict and facilitates communication.

The chaplain’s active involvement sends a message that the hospital is truly interested in the person’s welfare and not just in protecting the hospital’s interests. In cases like this, chaplains are an essential and valuable resource to bridge the often divergent interests of risk management and patient-centered care.

I suggest that you share this now with your hospital administrator and risk manager, and talk with them about establishing a protocol where “exceptional” cases automatically trigger a chaplain referral and response as a member of the professional healthcare team.