Expertise-on-call drives insurance collaboration
Caryn Conklin-Hawthorne, executive vice president and chief financial officer of the Baptist Health System of East Tennessee, finds the services of Premier Insurance Management Services, Inc. (PIMS) invaluable.
“Recently, Baptist was facing a particularly difficult medical malpractice case that could have resulted in adverse outcomes for our healthcare system,” recalls Hawthorne. As a participant in an insurance entity (AEIX) open to Premier members and managed by PIMS, she turned to Les Meredith, senior vice president and general counsel of PIMS, for help.
“It was a complex medical malpractice case, one of the few we’ve ever had. It was a VBAC case (vaginal birth after C-section), which can be difficult for any hospital,” says Hawthorne. “It was a rare circumstance and demanded special legal expertise. By using PIMS and national litigators available in its ‘second counsel’ program, we achieved a better outcome and saved significant dollars in the process.”
The knowledge and responsiveness of the PIMS insurance team impressed Hawthorne. She especially appreciated their pro-active approach throughout the process.
“As a Premier owner, there is a comfort level in having our local counsel backed up by specialists with knowledge of such complicated cases. Les Meredith and the PIMS staff know how to handle those cases and they understand the proper level of their involvement.”
But malpractice case assistance is only one part of the story. Based in Knoxville, Tenn., Baptist Health System has four facilities serving thousands of residents throughout eastern Tennessee. With the demands of healthcare for a large population come claims management and other issues.
“As a CFO not trained in medical malpractice matters, I rely on PIMS to bring insurance expertise to the table,” says Hawthorne. “They also provide financial perspective and a global view of how our insurance program should work. There’s comfort in knowing that I can pick up the phone and discuss my particular situation with experts.”
In turn, Meredith relies on Hawthorne and her colleagues for input into PIMS insurance service offerings.
“Caryn and her peers at other Premier member healthcare systems participate in the governance of AEIX to help shape our insurance offerings to members,” notes Meredith. “It is collaboration at its best.”
While Premier and PIMS benefit from the collaboration, Hawthorne sees tangible results at Baptist Health System, too.
“I have been involved with the Finance Advisory Committee of AEIX and it has been an invaluable experience for me,” Hawthorne notes. “What we hear about other cases is extremely beneficial and has triggered initiatives that we take back to our own healthcare systems.”
Hawthorne’s colleagues at Baptist Health System also participate in the seminars and conferences provided by PIMS for continuing education.
“Our staff attends the seminars and finds them very beneficial. We have participated in education sessions in numerous areas, such as OB claim and risk management,” Hawthorne continues. “By networking with other CFOs and risk managers in the PIMS insurance programs, we gain the benefit of sharing incredible knowledge and experience.”
Back in Knoxville, Hawthorne has seen other areas of PIMS expertise influence Baptist’s on-going efforts to improve efficiency and profitability.
“PIMS has conducted an evaluation of our internal processes, which is helping us establish better protocols on handling claims,” explains Hawthorne. “Because they work with hospitals all over the country, the PIMS team can tell us about trends in our industry. They have a tremendous data-driven process that provides details around settlements and shows how litigation looks around the country by region.”
As an active participant in the PIMS insurance programs, Hawthorne is especially quick with her praise of service to the customer.
“I’m been very impressed with the PIMS services,” Hawthorne notes. “Their staff is very professional, their expertise is unmatched and their service levels are very good. When I pick up the phone and have a question or need help with a matter, they make me feel like I’m the only client they work with, which I know isn’t the case.”