Healthcare Risk Management – October 1, 2025

Gender-Affirming Care Caught in Legal Gray Area, Liability Possible

Healthcare organizations providing gender-affirming care — which may be defined broadly — could face consequences if they do not conform with recently imposed federal restrictions. Understanding the changes and how they affect clinical treatment is key to avoiding potentially serious regulatory violations and other liability.

Are Rules Really Meant to Be Broken?

Risk managers spend a lot of time and effort promoting policies and procedures meant to improve patient safety and protect the organization from liability. But is there ever a time to condone breaking those rules?

Overuse of Travel Nurses Threatens Patient Safety

New research suggests that relying excessively on travel nurses or nurses working overtime may threaten patient safety. Researchers at the George Washington University and Premier health system looked at this issue, which has received little attention in the past.

Hospitals Cutting Infection Control Staff, Creating Patient Safety Risks

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and The Leapfrog Group have joined to express concern about how hospitals are cutting infection control resources and the dire effects that may have on patient safety.

Telehealth Continues to Pose Liability, Regulatory Concerns

The use of telehealth boomed during the pandemic and continues to be a popular option for both patients and providers, but legal risks continue.

Know the Basics of Medical Malpractice Insurance

Professional liability insurance is a necessity in the healthcare field, but it often is not fully understood by those who need it the most.

Washington Court Upholds $13M Malpractice Verdict Against Cosmetic Surgeon

A Washington appeals court has upheld a $13 million jury verdict against a plastic surgeon accused of botched cosmetic procedures and deceptive business practices, marking one of the state’s more notable malpractice rulings in recent years. The panel rejected the defense’s claims that improper evidence tainted the trial, instead finding that the outcome was supported by substantial evidence and that no reversible error occurred.

$17.1M Awarded to Family of Deceased Infant

In a verdict underscoring both the effects of obstetrical malpractice and the breadth of damages Illinois juries may award in wrongful death cases, a Macon County jury has returned a $17.1 million judgment in favor of a family whose infant son died nine months after a traumatic delivery.