Healthcare Risk Management – April 1, 2025

Immigration Enforcement Worries Healthcare Leaders

The Trump administration’s dramatic escalation of immigrant enforcement actions has many employers and employees on edge, with healthcare facilities in particular facing potentially delicate situations if Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrive seeking employees or patients. Risk managers should study the applicable law beforehand and devise a response plan.

Know Employer and Employee Rights When ICE Comes

Healthcare employers should be fully prepared for a renewed focus on immigration enforcement, which likely will include a significant number of high-profile workplace immigration raids.

Tread Carefully When Patient Refuses a Caregiver

It is not uncommon for patients to refuse care from certain staff members for a variety of reasons. Whether a healthcare employer should accommodate that request depends on a number of factors that determine potential liability.

Multiple Laws Apply When Patients Refuse Caregiver

There are several federal laws that protect employees and job applicants from unlawful discrimination in the workplace.

Employers Can Face Variety of Claims

Given the extensive framework of anti-discrimination laws, an employer can face several legal risks when acquiescing to the discriminatory or biased preferences of patients or otherwise requiring employees to accommodate race or other protected class demands by patients.

Avoid the Common Pitfalls in Medical Documentation

Medical professionals often work under time pressure that results in some of the common pitfalls in practitioner documentation.

Consider Diversifying Vendors to Combat Cyber Incidents

With cyber threats continuing to plague healthcare organizations, risk managers may need to look at new strategies to protect their data.

Louisiana Court Overturns Comparative Fault Finding in Medical Malpractice Case

A Louisiana appellate court recently overturned a jury’s finding that a retired civil engineer was 75% at fault for injuries he sustained from excessive fluoroscopic radiation exposure during vascular surgery.

Iowa Supreme Court Overturns $97 Million Verdict in Birth Injury Case

The Iowa Supreme Court reversed a $97,402,549 verdict in a medical malpractice case, ordering a new trial because of the improper admission of hearsay evidence.