The Client and Its Challenge
Like many organizations across the United States, this venerable not-for-profit health care system was seeing its workers' compensation costs skyrocket and insurance rates increase steadily. Moreover, workplace accidents were on the rise.

In response, the organization drafted a new set of safety policies and best practices in 2003. But without automated tools for measuring compliance with the new loss-prevention policies, the health care network could not easily track and compare results among the network's facilities. No one really knew which individual facilities were following the new regulations, and therefore no judgment could be made about the effectiveness of the rules.

The Risk Consulting Solution
The client chose TrendTracker as the solution for automating the compliance-assessment process and for cataloguing the analytical data and results that would help the organization identify and better understand systemic and strategy issues.

Together with a team of hospital representatives, the Marsh team created two custom TrendTracker assessment templates: ACTS and Environment of Care. These templates are much more effective than off-the-shelf products because the customized questions and checklists focus on the client's most critical employee health and safety issues.

It works as follows: A team leader at each facility completes a health and safety self-assessment on a PC, and assessment results are reviewed both at the facility and corporate level. Not only are assessments measured against the health care system's most recent guidelines, but also against applicable regulatory requirements. In essence, Marsh created a one-stop, automated safety checklist for the client.

Results
Today, more than 30 of the client's 67 health facilities have completed self-assessments. Already, the health care network has been able to identify specific safety issues related to certain pieces of equipment. For example, the machinery used to move patients has already been deemed as requiring attention. The client's senior management is confident that such safety improvements will result in fewer injuries and reduced workers' compensation costs.

As an ancillary benefit, leaders of individual facilities within the network greatly favor the new system, because it cuts down on paperwork and provides e-mail reminders when assessments are due.