Executive Development At Erickson School To Address Risk Management

Baltimore, MD – Senior living professionals can now take advantage of a subject not normally offered through executive development. On December 5-8, 2005, risk management will be covered at an extensive, four-day course at the Erickson School of Aging Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). "Risk Management of Seniors Housing & Care" will be led by Allen Lynch, Esq., partner at Nixon Peabody LLP.

"Seniors housing and care could be viewed as the ultimate risky business," said Lynch, "due to, among other reasons, the vulnerability of our customers, extensive regulation, financial pressures, media attention, labor shortages and a litigious environment."

The course is intended for both operators and financiers serving the industry. "If you're on the capital side, understanding the risks in seniors housing, and more importantly how the leading providers master them, should be at the heart of sound underwriting and ensuring maximum return," Lynch explained. "If you're an operator, attending this program will give you the insights and tools to dramatically lower your insurance costs and liability exposure."

Through the use of case studies, this course focuses on best practices to identify and manage the key risks important to every stakeholder in seniors housing and care. It will be taught by leading professionals on the front line of risk management: Robert Noonan, CFO at Benchmark Assisted Living; Phil Balderston, SVP of Risk Management at Sunrise Senior Living; Budgie Amparo, VP of Quality and Risk Management at Summerville Senior Living; Larry Minnix, president and CEO, and Suzanne Weiss, SVP of Advocacy, at the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA); Joel Goldman, Esq., partner of Hanson Bridgett Marcus Vlahos Rudy LLP; Joseph McCarron, Jr., SVP at Smith/Packett Med-Com; John Atkinson, partner, and Mary Lynn Curran, RN, MS, director of Clinical Risk Management, at Thilman &

Fillipini, LLC; Larry Cirka, president and CEO of Ultrabridge; Cindy Porter, director of risk management at Erickson Retirement Communities; Cindy Graunke, director of the Division of Nursing Homes, Division of Survey and Certification of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid; Christopher Lavoie, Esq., at Dunn & Dunn; and Abigail Williams, Esq., at A. Williams & Associates, P.C.

Course highlights include:

• Insights into the prevalent risks in – and unique to – each property type: independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and CCRCs.
  
• Seeing the risk management issues and practices in a complex and successful CCRC, as seen through the eyes of the senior risk manager on a guided discussion tour.
  
• Building the foundation of risk management, from optimizing insurance protection (whether conventionally or through a captive) to reorganizing the enterprise to protect assets.
  
• Understanding and managing the "Achilles Heels" of operations – five areas representing the greatest risk.
  
• Learning the nuts and bolts of a state-of-the art risk management program at one of the world's leading providers.
  
• Participating in a mock trial with plaintiffs and defense lawyers, based on an actual case involving a large operator, eliciting powerful lessons learned.
  
• Managing non-compliance risks – from the government's top regulator.
  
• Deploying technology to reduce risk.

SOURCE: Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC